


Beneath the Surface

by mlle_ledoux



Series: Behind the Curtain [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Curtainfic If You Squint, Discussion of Vitrine Babies and Genetic Alteration, Fantasy Violence, Flashback to Past Abuse, Fluff, Implied Prosthetics, Mentions of a Magical Bombing, Multi, Original Characters Have Minor Roles - Freeform, Panic Attack, Sensory Overload, Shameless Self-Indulgence, Tactile Defensiveness, UST, Worldbuilding, headcanons ahoy, past original character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 53,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22763782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlle_ledoux/pseuds/mlle_ledoux
Summary: What starts as a search for her wayward lab partner turns into Entrapta being introduced to one of Etheria's best kept secrets:  the true history and scope of the Fright Zone.
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Series: Behind the Curtain [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582915
Comments: 309
Kudos: 413





	1. The Hunt for Hordak

**Author's Note:**

> Author Disclaimer: Views expressed in this piece of fiction do not necessarily reflect those of the author.

"Okay, this has gone on long enough!"

Emily came up beside Entrapta and gave a questioning beep at her creator's outburst.

Entrapta used a tendril of hair to take the small piece of scrap paper out of her hands and fold it up before sticking it in one of the many hidden pockets of her coveralls. "While I appreciate that he's left me notes, it's been three days, Emily. Three days!"

Three days since the Winter Solstice, and each morning a note in Hordak's surprisingly copperplate hand propped up on the worktable that had been unofficially designated as hers had greeted her, informing her that he had important business to attend to and would not be in the Sanctum that day.

The first day, Entrapta had believed him unquestioningly. The second day, she grew a little suspicious. Now she recognized the signs of what, past experience had taught her, was avoidance. Something she had hoped would never happen with Hordak. It was hard not to take herself to task. Had she pushed things too far? If so, what had been the breaking point? Why didn't people just talk these things out like reasonable, rational people? If she knew what not to do, she could correct her mistake. But first she needed to know what particular error she had committed.

Determination welled up inside her. "I refuse to give up on him, Emily," she told the bot beside her, giving Emily a pat with a length of hair. "I'm going to find him and ask."

Emily beeped and whirred encouragingly.

~*~*~*~

Entrapta's robo-parents had always said she was the most stubborn being they'd ever met, and she was grateful for that particular character trait now. She had scoured the entire main Horde complex, as far as she knew, via the vent system and came up empty-handed. She did discover, however, that Hordak hadn't even been holding "office hours" as he called them. Official word was he could be reached by tracker pad if there was an emergency, but it better BE an emergency or heads would roll.

This was an emergency, as far as Entrapta was concerned, but this was something that needed to be hashed out privately, face-to-face, rather than over a connection that could be hacked. Speaking of hacking, her fingers flew over the keyboard of the computer she had brought from Dryl and installed in her own personal lab. She had switched out her regular gloves for the ones Hordak had made her as soon as she sat down. She really wanted to wear her new gloves all the time. They were so much more comfortable and versatile than her old ones! But they were one-of-a-kind, and she didn't want anything to happen to them. She knew it was illogical, but precious things needed to be treasured and treated with care.

Like her partnership with Hordak.

Her new gloves fit like a second skin, just as naturally as said partnership had begun.

Emily rolled along the floor behind her, obviously bored, but Entrapta couldn't afford to be distracted. Thankfully the Horde security cameras were programmed in standard Etherian Programming Language rather than the complex code Hordak used on his own private projects. She had never seen anything like it, although she could probably figure it out eventually. It seemed to have a few hallmarks she had deciphered in Old Ones' tech, but beyond that, it was positively.. she snorted at the thought.. alien.

"Ah-ha!" she cried as the last bit of firewall gave way before her mighty intellect and each of her three monitors showed a different view of the Fright Zone. "Success!" Entrapta twirled her chair around, going for what she liked to call "a little spin" around the room, Emily leaping up and chasing after her playfully. Entrapta allowed herself two full trips before settling back down to business.

Hordak was usually in the Sanctum by the time she got there at roughly 0730, and she knew the only exit from his private rooms was into the Sanctum. So she would go back in time from there. There were no cameras in the Sanctum or Hordak's wing, but they were practically everywhere else. If she didn't see him at all, that meant he was in his rooms. Entrapta fought down a twinge of worry. She really hoped that wasn't the case.

She brought up the feeds from the three cameras closest to the Sanctum, scanning each monitor for any sign of an imposing figure in blacks and metallics with a splash of red. Finally, when the timestamp flipped to 0530, she hit the jackpot. Hordak leaving the Sanctum and striding down the walkways to the rest of the Horde main complex with purpose in his step.

Entrapta let out a breath of relief. At least he seemed to be all right, physically. He was in full-blown, what she liked to call, "Dictator Mode", no trace of her slightly more relaxed lab partner in sight. His cape billowed out dramatically behind him; Horde soldiers in the halls snapped to attention and saluted. The change in his demeanor always fascinated her. There were times she almost envied his acting ability. This was the Hordak who had confronted her in his lab and promised dire consequences. The persona she had thought ironclad until his conversation with her, Catra, Scorpia and Shadow Weaver in the Black Garnet room when she noticed the affectionate scratch under the chin he'd given Imp, and Imp's obvious delight revealing that it wasn't an uncommon gesture.

Apparently everyone else feared his temper, but the more Entrapta analyzed his words and actions, the more she realized Hordak was roughly 90% bluster and 10% bite. Yes, he could crack the whip when needed to keep people in line and the Fright Zone running smoothly, but the worst she had ever seen him do, besides a lot of sneering and yelling, was throw someone in the prison block.

Maybe one day she would have to ask him how he had developed his leadership style.

But for now, the important thing was finding out where in the Fright Zone he was going.

Fortunately, Entrapta had long ago made a note of how the security grid functioned, so when Hordak turned right, she knew which camera to switch to. When he went left, she continued to trace his path with ease. If she really thought about it, the main Horde complex outside of the barracks was almost as labyrinthine as her own castle in Dryl. A theory confirmed when suddenly, Hordak pivoted to his right and was gone. Not to be so easily thrown off the scent, Entrapta mentally reviewed the ductwork in that area. If her memory was correct, there was a vent near the floor in that corridor right next to a door. Entrapta blinked. Had Hordak actually left the building?

Her excitement at getting to play detective increasing, she sacrificed one of her monitors to bring up a map of the entire Fright Zone which she may or may not have downloaded from Hordak's small stash of public files. "Let's see," she murmured to herself. "If he did exit using that door, the cameras for that area should be," fingers flew over the keyboard as she adjusted her camera feed, "right there. Ah-ha! Found you!" Emily made a series of triumphant beeps and boops, prompting Entrapta to turn around and hold up her hair in a sign she had programmed Emily to recognize as a high-five. Emily lifted her wonky left leg and completed the gesture, which was then followed by a pat on the dome by the same length of hair. "Good girl, Emily. You're so smart!"

Emily rolled over a few times in glee as Entrapta allowed herself a few spins while keeping her chair in place this time. It took a moment for them both to calm down, Emily staying on her back with her legs playfully waving in the air as Entrapta turned back to her screens.

"Now, where are you going?" Entrapta asked.

Her curiosity only grew as Hordak's body language transformed. He always seemed so much larger than life, and she wasn't just talking about his impressive height. She'd had no idea that when he wanted to, he could meld into the shadows nearly as well as Imp. He made his way down what Entrapta could only describe as back alleys until he was in front of a building Entrapta was surprised to find she hadn't even known existed. 

While the vast majority of structures in the Fright Zone were made of metal, this building looked older, its apparently eight-sided body constructed of some material she wasn't familiar with. It was hard to tell with the usual reddish-orange cast everything took on as the smog-blocked artificial sun rose, but she thought it might be a light brown. Definitely not the typical olive green metal the vast majority of Horde buildings seemed to be made of. Atop the chunky, octagonal base, a short wall in the center quickly gave way to a massive metal dome that caught the sun in a way that turned the entire roof into a single, united blaze of pure Horde red.

From a distance, it hid amongst the much taller constructs that surrounded it. You had to know exactly where it was, or you'd overlook it. As Entrapta had in her explorations thus far.

After a furtive look in all directions, Hordak slipped across the way to meld back into the shadows cast by two massive columns flanking a centered arch amidst a forest of them.

Entrapta's fingers froze in place just above the keyboard as she recognized the shape of those arches. They were the same as the fireplace in Hordak's Study!

Her curiosity only deepened as she realized that the cameras on the main Horde Security System did not extend any farther than the alleyways near the building.

She knew Hordak well enough, she hoped, to be certain he would never leave such a magnificent building with no security. It was just a matter of finding where that particular circuit was hidden. But why go to so much trouble? She was dying to know.

Entrapta reached into the special pocket of her overalls that her recorder resided in when she wasn't using it, wrapping tendrils of her hair around the device before pulling it out and clicking it on. "Fright Zone Mystery, First Log. My investigation thus far has unearthed more than just my wayward lab partner..."

~*~*~*~

"Gears and Sprockets," Entrapta breathed in awe as she stared up at the stone edifice for a moment before hunkering down in the few remaining shadows to work. She held her data pad in one hand as she entered code with the other, trying not to get frustrated by the clunkiness of her old gloves. It hadn't bothered her when there was no other alternative. Maybe, eventually, she could ask Hordak to make her another pair in the new style so she didn't have to be so careful with the ones she had.

Entrapta shook her head slightly to try and clear it. "Focus!" she whispered to herself. She felt a little bad that she had to leave Emily back in the main Horde complex, but this was a stealth mission, and stealth was impossible for the noisy little bot.

To Entrapta's surprise, the security grid for this building wasn't coded in Etherian Standard Programming Language, but Hordak's personal one. She let out a little squeal of excitement. Whatever was in this building had to be BIG! She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, marshaling her thoughts to take aim at cracking his code, at least enough to give her access to the security cameras.

It was slow going, and she went through several failures, but Entrapta figured if she floundered too much, she would catch Hordak's attention, anyway. If studying First Ones' tech hadn't been one of her passions, she wouldn't have been able to even start deciphering Hordak's code. Finally, after nearly an hour, her data pad gave a little beep, and she was in.

And what she saw made her jaw drop.

Entrapta had been impressed enough with Hordak's Study, but this entire _building_ was a library! She wished she dared move the cameras around so she could take it all in better, but the place was massive. Ancient dusty tomes lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Display cases with neatly-packed scrolls filled quite a bit of the floor space, colorful and intricate rugs protecting the unusual polished stone floor from the pressure of the large cabinets. The rest was taken up by heavy wooden furniture that looked as though it might be decorated with elaborate carvings: tables, chairs, more bookcases, and even a few scattered desks.

But there was no sign of Hordak.

Entrapta focused her search on the camera nearest the front door, enlarging that section of the split screen until the others disappeared. To her relief, as she rewound the time, she was able to see Hordak enter. Her curiosity was piqued as she saw him nod to someone off camera. Hordak never greeted anyone so cordially, though his face was still set in Dictator Mode. Then she had to jump from camera to camera, following his trajectory until he stopped in front of what appeared to be a solid chunk of the wall covered in dark wood panelling save for the image of a scorpion that was at Hordak's eye height. Entrapta watched, fascinated, as a beam of light shot out from the scorpion, but Hordak didn't even flinch. If anything, he seemed impatient.

It was a retinal scanner!

Suddenly there was a nearly inaudible click and the panelling swung inward to reveal its true purpose as a door. Hordak strode through, leaving the panel to immediately swing back shut behind him. Entrapta quickly started mapping the building's layout in her mind's eye. Once she was fairly certain she had a good idea where things were, she disconnected from the security cameras and put her data pad away. She looked up, then down each arch as she began circling the structure.

"Ah-ha!" she cried when she was roughly one third of the way around the building. "Exactly what I was looking for!" Entrapta grinned with glee as she took in the grate before her, set less than a foot above the ground. "Have ductwork and/or plumbing, will travel!" Then she finally realized that her outbursts might have attracted attention, and she clapped the ends of her ponytails over her mouth. She looked around several times before feeling reassured that she hadn't completely blown her cover. Then her hair left her mouth, snaking out tendrils to figure out how to open the grate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to write! My original short one-shot has ballooned into this whale of a fic. 50K words and 11 chapters later, I finally have a complete rough draft. I will be updating as soon as I get chapters edited for public consumption.
> 
> Also, if there is anything I neglected to tag as the fic goes on, please let me know so I can add it. I've done my best, but I'm still learning. :)


	2. A Welcome Interruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amazing [cinamoncune](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com) has drawn MORE incredible fanart for my fics.. aka this one. I will be putting links to the art in the appropriate places in the text so those who wish to see it can enjoy, but the pictures themselves won't make anything go wonky. I am deeply honored!

Hordak blew out a frustrated breath and, since there was no one else to see him, raked a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his, thankfully padded, chair. Then he tried to ignore the pang of _something_ that made his chest feel tight. He knew it had nothing to do with his armor, so he refused to delve any more into it.

Three days. Three cursed days thus far and he was less than halfway through untangling the mess Shadow Weaver's imprisonment had caused. He had hoped his new second-in-command would be as competent with paperwork as she was eager to prove herself on the field, but this would teach him to put stock in such foolish things. Especially when he got word that Force Captain Catra's idea of delegating was to first pick Force Captain Scorpia, then the aforementioned disgraced prisoner. He hated to admit it, but he was now more aware of Force Captain Catra's desperation to please her former caretaker, and he would have to work with and around it.

He refused to be a hypocrite.

Thusly, the mountains of paperwork required to keep the Fright Zone running fell onto his shoulders.

Just because he was capable of doing it, didn't mean he enjoyed it. And thanks to the chaos Force Captain Catra had caused in her attempts at taming the wretched things, his task was already much more difficult than if he had just taken over from the start.

He acknowledged why he had not done so. At long last, the portal project was moving forward so he was loathe to leave the lab.

Yet the knowledge that wasn't the entire truth crept back up on him.

He was used to having to do things completely alone. He could get so much more done when he wasn't being constantly interrupted by whatever foolishness his underlings decided absolutely needed his attention when nine times out of ten, his input was utterly unnecessary.

But now, he would catch himself listening for a scrabbling in the ductwork. The sound of rubber boots squeaking on the metal ground, even though this room had wooden planking on the floors. A constant monologue being spoken into an ever-present recorder punctuated only by occasional muttered curses that were becoming more vulgar as they moved farther from politeness into partnership.

Hordak closed his eyes and moved his hands from his hair to grind the heels of his palms against the gritty feeling behind his ocular panels. He was just so _tired_.

Then he caught a trace of scent from his fingers and found the knot in his chest easing. After making absolutely sure he was alone, which, why wouldn't he be? The only other person who even knew this room existed was his Head Librarian, who he trusted implicitly. He pressed his fingers together against the cavity that served as his nose.

Hordak felt the heat rising in his cheeks at the thought of how ridiculous he must look, but self-flagellation would not be productive. He hadn't realized how pervasive the light, clean scent of Entrapta's shampoo was until he had to do without it. It had only been that morning he finally got up the nerve to try it for himself. He had endured Imp's snickers as his hair poofed up and curled slightly at the tips.

He'd given himself a scowl and done his best to tame the mess with an unscented gel he had originally made back when he was promoted to General. He could still hear Horde Prime's criticism that day ringing in his ears.

"Did I promote a General, or acquire some exotic, furry pet? It is high time you get that kowl's nest under control, Little Brother."

Hordak breathed even deeper. Ruminating on the past did nothing to cut the looming tower of official Horde-stamped folders down to size. And the sooner he finished, the sooner he could get back to his Sanctum.

" _To Entrapta_ ," his traitorous instincts whispered.

Hordak sighed. He only hoped she would forgive him, and his notes were enough to reassure her that she had not been abandoned yet again.

Then his right ear twitched as it caught the ghost of an unfamiliar sound. Hordak found himself tensing, his soldiers' instincts having never abandoned him. Not that he could do much in such close quarters if it were an assassin, but his mind was already racing with possibilities and he palmed one of the pencils he had been using for calculations.

Only for his train of thought to be completely derailed as he saw tendrils of purple hair coming up through the slats of the grille to the heating vent in the floor. Hordak watched, mesmerized, as the silky strands, a group of them holding a screwdriver, deftly took care of the screws holding the metal grate in place before pushing it up and out of the way. Seconds later, a very familiar face and voice popped up to greet him.

"Hi, Hordak! Hope I'm not interrupting!"

"Entrapta," Hordak breathed, only barely keeping himself from rubbing his eyes once more. He was so worn down, he was hallucinating! Then that adorable.. no. Endearing. Nope. Charming? Curse it! She had a very familiar wrinkle between her eyes as they swept over him.

"Are you okay? Have you been eating? Sleeping?" The questions came fast and furious as Entrapta nearly leapt out of the hole in the ground, using her hair to cover the handful of steps between them inhumanly fast. 

Then a tendril of hair reached out towards Hordak, and he stayed perfectly still since he had no idea what Entrapta was aiming for. He found himself frozen, incredulous, as her hair came to rest across his forehead like a hand, its twin covering Entrapta's.

"Doesn't feel like you have a fever, but even your usual cosmetics can't hide the bags under your eyes," Entrapta informed him. Suddenly, she seemed to realize exactly what she was doing. "Oh, whoops," she said, her actions belying her words, her hair gently stroking his forehead as it withdrew.

Hordak began to wonder if Entrapta's hair sometimes had a mind of its own. He did his best to sit up straight. "I have been getting the minimum required amount of nutrition and rest," he told her, but even he could hear how hollow the words were.

"'Minimum required' is not 'adequate' or 'satisfactory'," Entrapta quipped. "I'm starting to learn how to speak 'Hordak', so you'd better wise up."

Hordak raised a brow ridge at her. "I did not realize you could be so.. bossy." He softened the word with a slight upward quirk of his lips.

"Oh you haven't even seen me get started. I am a Princess, after all!" Entrapta gave one of her ponytails an exaggerated flip before grinning at her lab partner.

"So is Force Captain Scorpia," was Hordak's deadpan response.

"You're getting quite the collection," Entrapta replied, as part of her wondered what on earth she was doing. Then again, she'd never had anyone understand her quirky sense of humor. Were they making what she had overheard Glimmer call 'in-jokes'? If so, she liked it.

All at once, it was as if someone had dropped a ten ton weight on Hordak's shoulders, the teasing light in his eyes dying as the crimson color dimmed. "You have no idea," he intoned, turning his back to her.

Slowly, as if approaching a bot that might go rogue at any moment, Entrapta made her way to the desk Hordak had obviously been working at. She leaned forward, her hands behind her back, making sure to leave a little space between them. "Hordak? What did I say wrong?"

"Nothing."

Entrapta harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest before shifting her weight so she could hoist herself up onto the far corner of the desk with her hair so she was technically out of his way, but her curvaceous figure would keep her in his line of vision. "When someone says 'nothing', they really mean 'something'," she proclaimed. Then she dropped her arms, clasping her gloved hands together in her lap and her hair going limp. "If I've done something wrong, I need to know, or I can't learn from the mistake."

Hordak blinked slowly, trying to get his thoughts in order. Once again, Entrapta's very presence had sent them scattering. He had not missed the way one shapely hip had been the first part of her to touch the desk, followed by her lovely round bottom. Not to mention the sturdy thigh that now also rested so very nearby.

Such perversion was unworthy of a clone of Horde Prime. What kind of base animal was he turning into?

He risked a look up at her face, only to see her now biting her lip as her hair hung loose from its twin ponytails rather than practically vibrating with energy.

Hordak took as deep a breath as he could, then slowly let it out through his nose.

"I apologize. My reaction to your words is not your fault," he told her.

Entrapta frowned. "I don't understand."

This was _not_ getting any work done, but Hordak reasoned that if he looked so much more terrible than usual he actually worried his lab partner, perhaps he needed the break. Yet answering her question would open up old wounds that had healed over well, but still ached if he poked at them too hard.

On the other hand, having at least one other person share in such a closely-guarded secret meant he would be able to fulfill the promise he had made even if there came a day when he was completely incapacitated. And who better than the current Princess of Dryl?

"It is quite a long story," Hordak finally said, "and it involves history, not technology."

Entrapta almost, _almost_ reached up to pull her welding mask down. If it had been anyone else, or they were in any kind of public setting, she would have. She very rarely felt frustrated by her own mind, but this was one of those times, and the fact that Hordak had picked up on it unnerved her a little. People tended not to listen to her long enough to realize it was difficult for her to pay attention to anything that wasn't one of her particular interests.

Hordak watched the emotions playing over Entrapta's face and it was as if someone had kicked him in the gut. He was well aware he was getting a rare glimpse of what usually happened behind her mask, but the fact that he had made her look so forlorn tore at him. "I apologize. I should have worded that better."

Entrapta shook her head. "I'd rather you be honest with me, and no one has ever cared enough to try and be considerate. Everyone always laughs it off or gets upset by it, but you're trying to work _with_ my quirks," she told him.

Hordak could feel the rift forming between them, and he knew he had to do something. Very, very slowly and carefully, he reached out, giving Entrapta plenty of time to read his intentions. Her eyes darted to his hand, and she stilled. Hordak turned his hand palm up, and he was prepared for Entrapta to snap her hair away the moment his fingertips touched the silky length that was his target. Yet at that moment of contact, she didn't, her body frozen like a statue except for the rise and fall of her chest with each deep breath she was obviously taking to stay calm. 

He gently scooped up the very end of her hair, just enough to drape over his palm. He could feel her eyes on him, watching every movement, ready to bolt in an instant. Again, he gave her ample time to pull away as he brought the silky strands to his lips, giving them a courtly kiss.

Time seemed to stop between them, and a quick glimpse at her cheeks revealed Entrapta was blushing deeply.

Hordak returned his prize to its rightful place beside her before he dared to speak. "You are important. Not just to the portal project, but to me, personally. I always pay attention to things that are truly important."

Entrapta blinked rapidly, trying to clear her suddenly foggy vision. Her chest hurt, even as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. "I'm important? To you? Not just the project?"

"Yes."

Just like that, tears began to fall before Entrapta could stop them. A sob escaped her throat, and she found herself burying her face in her hands. Hands with the wrong gloves on. Thankfully she didn't need to see in order to change them, using her hair to quickly draw out the gloves Hordak had made her and replace her "old faithful"s. Her new ones were so much more comfortable, the pressure and softness making her feel a little bit better and the special knit sliding rather than sticking to her skin despite the dampness.

Hordak sat in his chair, staring like a deer in headlights. He had absolutely no idea what to do! He had never imagined Entrapta breaking down in front of him, sobbing almost like a child. He was further stunned as he watched her change gloves. He had noticed she was wearing her original gloves before, but seeing her draw out his gifts from one of the innumerable pockets of her overalls and pull them on as if for comfort shook him to his very foundations. 

"Entrapta," he whispered, but she obviously couldn't hear him. So he cleared his throat before raising his voice enough to hopefully be heard over the torrent of tears. "I deeply apologize if I have offended you."

Entrapta's head snapped up, her face leaving the protection of her hands. Her cheeks were damp, her eyes red-rimmed, and she sniffled. "Offended me? No, no, NO! You didn't offend me!" She swiped her forearm over one cheek, using her sleeve as a handkerchief. "I'm used to being useful. People only want to be my friend because of what I can do for them. Even my robo-parents. They were programmed to care for me, but in my capacity as the future ruler of Dryl. Not me, Entrapta."

Hordak recalled the picture he had noticed in the hallway outside her quarters depicting her as little more than an infant, in his eyes, standing in front of two robots as if it were a family portrait. Now he realized his analysis had been correct. "I.. am not unique in that regard. My original intentions of providing you with all the Horde tech you wanted was purely to add you as an asset."

"Which is understandable. You didn't know anything about me, except that I could turn a faulty bot into a wall-melting weapon," Entrapta replied.

"But from the moment you invaded my Sanctum and corrected a mistake I had been overlooking, your insights have been invaluable," Hordak said. "Your thoughts, your unique perspectives, I had never thought to find someone on this backwards planet with not only a curious mind, but the ability to process the thought of technologies far beyond typical Etherian comprehension. Then you officially declared us lab partners, and that is when I realized that I had never had a lab partner before, either. The last person I would have even considered a partner, a friend, of any kind, died years ago."

"You've had a partner before?" Entrapta asked, wiping the last of her tears away. "You mean..."

Hordak immediately blushed at the gesture she made, his cheeks and the tips of his now lowered ears burning. It was not the most crude version, but he'd been on Etheria long enough to recognize it. "Not like that. Though of course, rumors were rife. Apparently two people cannot have a close friendship without at least a few people believing they are, as you have so clearly implied, 'knocking boots', I believe is the colloquial phrase." He took a deep breath. "But I must be boring you."

"You aren't," Entrapta told him, and she realized even as she said the words, that they were absolutely true.

Hordak watched as Entrapta went from curious to thoughtful, and he knew better than to interrupt her when she was wrapping her formidable mind around a concept, so he stayed silent to allow her the time she needed. Anything was better than the way her sobbing had nearly torn both hearts out of his chest.

Entrapta lifted her right hand, resting it so the tips of her fingers brushed the notch of her collarbone. This was new. Unexpected. Until now, all of her subjects of interest had focused on objects: bots, First Ones' tech, technology in general. She'd had absolutely no idea that a _person_ could become one! Then again, Hordak wasn't Etherian. If she thought about it, the seed had likely been planted when she realized he had come from another planet. Even the thought there were other planets, much less an entire what Hordak called a universe, out there was exciting! It had grown so slowly, it snuck under her radar. She tended to do most of the talking when they were together in the lab, and she realized she rarely let him get a word in edgewise. If she had, the fact that as the days turned into weeks, she found herself invested when he did speak would have become more clear.

She wanted to know more about him, and realized she had been analyzing him for quite a while now. Something he obviously wasn't used to, given his reactions to her observations back on Winter Solstice. A fact proven when she didn't even have to think when seeing his current condition today had immediately raised her concern.

Concern she had never really felt for any organic being before.

And now he was just sitting there patiently, letting her try and organize her thoughts. Not judging or mocking, but attentive in case she did wish to speak. Even after seeing her break down and cry from being overwhelmed by her own emotions, something she normally tried to hold in but sometimes happened too quickly to stop.

"I..." Entrapta sniffled, then swallowed. "I didn't realize it until just now." She moved her hand from her chest to the desk, covering Hordak's fingers with her own. "You have become.. very.. important to me, too."

["You have become.. very.. important to me, too." by cinamoncune](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com/post/614391867303477248/i-entrapta-sniffled-then-swallowed-i-didnt)

Hordak swore he felt both his hearts stop for a beat or two. Important. He was important to her. He could feel himself trembling. She had absolutely no idea how much hearing such words meant to him. Not only that, she had touched him with her actual hand again, of her own accord. Such a gesture only reinforced her words. And she never treated him harshly, even when she was frustrated or excited. He had not felt so off-kilter since his crash-landing on a planet with no stars.

He felt the shifting, the clicking, within him. The desire to please, the wish to serve, the need to prove his worth and receive praise for his efforts. Attributes directly bred into him, meant to be directed towards one being alone.

Now there were two.

Hordak was brought out of his reverie by Entrapta sniffling again.

Making sure to keep the hand under Entrapta's perfectly still, he reached into a pocket in the lining of his tunic with his free hand and produced a square of _poa_ cloth, holding it out to her in an offering. "Here."

Entrapta blinked. "What's that for?"

"To blow your nose. You are sniffling, which if you continue, will only prolong congestion. I know it is a common side effect of shedding a certain amount of tears," Hordak informed her.

"Oh," Entrapta replied, taking the cloth from him with a length of hair. "I've always just used my clothing."

"Because they are tolerable to your senses. That handkerchief is made of the same material as the inside of your gloves, and before you think it a rare and precious resource, I have one more on my person and a dozen more in my quarters, so feel free to keep it once you are done."

Entrapta looked from him, to the handkerchief, and back. "You think of everything," she said in awe, before bringing the cloth to her nose, tendrils of hair holding it firmly in place as she blew.

"I at least attempt to do so," was Hordak's quiet reply.

Entrapta tucked the now-used handkerchief away with her hair, loathe to move her hand. She had never really found touches from organic beings reassuring or even comfortable, and yet, that was exactly how she felt. Part of her even wanted to entwine her gloved fingers with Hordak's. This was completely new territory for her, and to force down the slight tendril of fear threatening to creep up, she cleared her throat. "Boy, did we get way off track," she said, trying to lighten the moment a little, but not too much. "So, which subject would you like to start with? My princess comment, your former partner, or why you're holing yourself up in here?"

Hordak eyed Entrapta for a moment, trying to gauge how much he should tell her. His traitorous feelings wanted to spill out everything, but he had to keep in mind the promise he had made so long ago. Would she really be able to help? Then again, the only other person who knew the breadth and depth of what he had to deal with was Shadow Weaver, who was now a liability. And although many would see Entrapta's nearly fanatical devotion to technology as a flagrant disregard for life, it was that very devotion that would protect the organic beings living amongst the technological marvels-for-Etheria Entrapta would have never seen before. Finally, he said, "They are all interconnected."

Entrapta's eyes lit up. "Sounds fascinating!" Then she actually did slip her fingers between his, hoping to encourage him.

Hordak stared at their joined digits. His own hand was so much bigger, his fingers longer, so that the tips of hers barely reached past the second knuckle. So much power in such a diminutive package. "The reason I am 'holed up in here' is due to having to imprison my administrator for abusing her power. Shadow Weaver took care of the necessary paperwork to keep the Horde running smoothly, and Force Captain Catra has proven she is not up to this particular task." He kept his right hand very still as he motioned toward the pile of folders with his left.

Entrapta turned to look at where he was indicating, but instead of withdrawing her fingers, she gripped a little tighter as she shifted position so she didn't have to crane her neck so far. "Oh, those! I, er, dropped in on Catra and Scorpia when they were trying to sort them. But that was weeks ago, the day I kinda broke my promise to Catra and went into your Sanctum."

"Force Captain Catra tried to prevent you?" This was news to Hordak.

"Yup. She told me, and I quote, 'Not to go near', well, you." Entrapta frowned. "She even grabbed me, which I didn't like, but if I didn't know better I would have said she was scared. Catra yells when she's feeling extremes of emotion."

"She grabbed you?!" Hordak snarled, his eyes glowing brighter as he bared his teeth.

Entrapta didn't know what to make of Hordak's sudden anger. "Yeah, but she didn't hurt me. It was just my shirt. I think she just wanted to drive her point home. Which I know doesn't excuse it, but I'm fine." She squeezed his fingers. "She seemed to think I might be in some kind of danger."

Hordak let out a slow, deep breath, trying to rein in his fury. "If she ever so much as touches you without permission again, you will inform me at once. Although..." His rage bled out of him like an open wound. "She would have had reason to fear. I am afraid I nearly asphyxiated her earlier in the day."

Entrapta blinked. "That would explain things," she said. "And I promise if she ever _hurts_ me, I'll tell you. Reporting every time she accidentally flicks me with her tail or doesn't realize my hair is in the way would just be silly."

"I sometimes forget how very literal you can be," Hordak said. He fought not to let the warmth he was feeling soothe his temper overwhelm him. "That would be acceptable."

"Good," Entrapta said with a nod. "So you're stuck here with a bunch of paperwork. If this is what is left after three days.. wow. Well, two full days, technically." A rush of color came into her cheeks as she looked away from the pile of folders down into her lap. "I didn't know. Usually when someone disappears on me, it's because they're avoiding me."

Hordak moved his index finger slightly, experimentally. Entrapta's head snapped around as she stared, but did not pull away. "I was hoping my notes would be sufficient, but I can see why after three mornings of absence on my part, you would begin to wonder."

"I was afraid I'd gone too far on Winter Solstice," Entrapta admitted. "We discussed a lot of personal things, and I would have understood if it had been too much for you."

Hordak shook his head. "Normally, it would have been. Yet I believe we have been working together for long enough, some personal interaction is not.. inappropriate." He watched as Entrapta's blush grew deeper at his words and, to his astonishment and relief, she began to move her own index finger in return, stroking both his middle and pointer digits.

Entrapta cleared her throat, trying to reclaim her voice. It was such a small movement, yet it was a giant leap of faith for her. Instead of wanting to shrink away or withdraw, a tiny tendril of warmth curled up her hand to her arm, then spread over her chest. She found herself liking the way it felt when they touched, and the gloves kept her from being overwhelmed. Then her analytical mind took over. "Wait, if you've already been working on them for a few days non-stop, that's too many folders, even for a month of backlog! The Fright Zone isn't that big!"

"As far as you, The Rebellion, or even most of those living in the barracks know," Hordak replied, an evil, devious smile spreading across his face. One that usually made his military units from cadets to Force Captains quake in terror.

Entrapta's eyes widened, then began to sparkle with excitement as her hair started to frizz. She squeezed her fingers together, holding Hordak's tightly. "There's more?"

"So much more," Hordak replied, making a grand gesture with his left hand. "Take this building, for example. Did you have any idea it was here despite your thorough investigations?"

"No, I didn't," Entrapta told him, shaking her head. "It's like it appeared out of nowhere, but I know it had to have been here. It's just the taller structures masked its presence, both from sight and regular tech."

"Precisely. The Fright Zone you know is the one I _want_ Etheria to see," Hordak said, very gently testing the waters.

"The one you want.. oh. Oh! OH!" Much as Entrapta hated to take her hand away from Hordak's, she just had to. She shook both hands from side to side, fingers splayed as the thrill of discovery coursed through her. "Is this like how Etherians only know one planet exists, but there are, as you said, countless other ones?"

Hordak gave Entrapta a genuine smile, sitting back in his chair to give her space. "I knew you had a superior mind to all others on this planet," he said smugly, before turning more serious. "However, the information I may be about to impart is quite sensitive. If any of the Horde's enemies discovered this truth, thousands of lives would be at stake."

"Thousands?" Entrapta echoed. "Wait, are you saying the Fright Zone is actually a kingdom?"

"Technically," Hordak replied. "It is one of the few lands left in possession of a viable runestone."

Hordak half wondered if Entrapta was about to vibrate all the way off the desk. He could feel the energy radiating off her and he had to fight down an actual grin. She was always quite attractive, but seeing her so full of life made her absolutely breathtaking.

"I thought the Fright Zone was just the opposite of Dryl. There's a runestone and, I suppose you could call Scorpia an 'inactive' Princess. Whereas Dryl, well, I don't now if it ever even had a runestone," Entrapta said, speaking a mile a minute as her mind raced.

"It did."

Those two words stopped Entrapta dead in her tracks. "It.. did?"

Hordak took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "In my early days on this planet, I spent many an hour here, trying to learn as much as I could about the civilization I had landed in," he said, carefully tailoring his response. She didn't need to know yet the exact circumstances, such as the fact that he had outright crashed after having originally been sent to die on the battlefield.

"I noticed this seems to be a library of some sort," Entrapta said.

"We are standing, well, sitting in the Library of Ceylon. It is even older than the libraries at Brightmoon and Mystacore. In fact, it is only rivaled by the collection of a certain family of historians, and that is if you put all the collections they curate together."

"The Library of Ceylon," Entrapta echoed, giving each word its due reverence. Then she turned to Hordak, her eyes still aglow. "Wait, if it's so big and ancient, is there anything about the First Ones here?"

Hordak shook his head. "Strangely, there is very little information on the beings Etherians refer to as First Ones here. The vast majority of materials are related to the history of the various kingdoms of Etheria, starting after the First Ones abandoned the planet."

"Even just a little will help!" Entrapta insisted.

Hordak allowed himself to chuckle, a sound rarely heard anywhere in the universe. "You are insatiable." The words were out of his mouth before he'd fully considered the implications, and a rush of color washed over his face and ears.

Somehow, Entrapta was completely oblivious to the nuances of his wording. Or at least, so she appeared.

And indeed, it had gone right over her head. "Of course I am! There's no such thing as 'too much information' when talking about First Ones!"

It was all Hordak could do not to smack his own forehead to try and dislodge the images that flitted across his awareness. Once he felt relatively sure he could speak without his tone betraying the wicked path his thoughts had taken, he said, "Then we should go out and speak with my Head Librarian, Princess Hisui of the former kingdom of Nephril."

Entrapta stared at him like a deer in headlights. "I really was just kidding about you collecting Princesses," she said.

"Sometimes, even in jest, one can stumble upon the truth." Hordak stood and held out his hand, inordinately pleased when Entrapta placed a tendril of hair in it before hopping off the desk, then keeping it there.

"Lead on, Keeper of the Princesses!" Entrapta replied.

Hordak bit his own tongue to help swallow the words that threatened to spill from his lips without permission. The only Princess he truly wanted to keep was right there, by his side. And he hoped that after today, their bond would only grow stronger through sharing in such a massive secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a little preface to Chapter 3, it was written before the release of the "Legend of the Fire Princess" graphic novel, and I still haven't gotten my hands on a copy. Suffice to say, my version of what happened may be vastly different from the events of the graphic novel. I have no idea at the time I'm posting this. Just wanted to give a heads' up so hopefully no one will be confused if I'm not following potential newly-introduced canon


	3. History Lessons

Hordak allowed himself a devious smile as he and Entrapta crossed the distance between his hidden workroom and the circulation desk. Princess Hisui took her duties very seriously, and the sight of Entrapta would likely surprise her. Not that she would show it, given her excellent poker face, but he knew her well enough to gauge her genuine reaction.

It also gave him a smokescreen as he kept a discreet eye on Entrapta. The wonder in her eyes was a sight to behold as she kept turning her head to try and take everything in. All the while, a tendril of her hair gripped his hand.

That had startled him at first, though he had done his best not to show it. He had been forced to drop his courtly escort when they reached the door of the concealed room since it only allowed space for them to pass single-file. Then the moment they were both in the library proper, that same length he'd been holding earlier slowly snaked around his wrist to his palm, then spread out like a hand, weaving silky fingers between his own.

It had taken a supreme force of will not to show his shock and suppress a shiver of what he was forced to admit was delight. He knew Entrapta would misinterpret his reaction, and that if he made any kind of fuss about it or possibly if he even drew attention to it, she would quickly withdraw and never repeat the gesture. He also recognized the grip, and it sent him slightly off-kilter. Entrapta had taken his hand for reassurance. Not that he blamed her, given her track record with Princesses, but the fact she would turn to him.. HIM.. for comfort both unsettled him and sent warmth radiating through his body from their joined contact point.

Hordak expected Entrapta to withdraw as they approached the circulation desk, but she didn't, maintaining her hold even when they were right in front of Princess Hisui. Hordak could sense there was a touch of color in his cheeks, and he mentally cursed himself for it, bracing himself for a round or two of very subtle teasing.

It was all Entrapta could do NOT to flip her mask down in front of this new variable. She was grateful Hordak hadn't said a thing about her taking his hand. Right now, it was the only thing keeping her from shutting herself off. The woman behind the polished wooden desk that had been carved in a semi-circle had not a hair out of place. Snowy white hair was piled up in an elaborate yet smooth hairstyle ornamented with golden combs and flowers made of jewels. Her clothing appeared simple at first glance, something akin to a bath robe, but unless Entrapta was mistaken, it was made of patterned silk and embroidered with a subtle yet complex design of vines and serpents. She was the epitome of understated elegance, making Entrapta suddenly aware of the dust she had collected during her trip through the library vents, the ever present stains on her outfit, and the likely smudges of dirt on her face. It was an odd sensation. She'd never cared about what other people thought.

Then it came to her, and Entrapta found herself blushing. The effect of people's opinion on Hordak mattered, and she did not want anyone giving him trouble because of her.

For her part, Princess Hisui thanked all the gods that she had been trained never to show overt emotion from childhood, because otherwise she would have gaped at the sight of not only someone emerging from Lord Hordak's "nook" along with him, and who she was likely to be, but the way the two interacted. At least, until they were close enough for her to see more details, and everything clicked into place. She tried not to smile, seeing the touch of color on the cheeks of both the Princess, which she had no doubt the girl was, and Lord Hordak.

"My Lord," Princess Hisui finally said, inclining her head.

"Princess Hisui," Hordak said, returning the greeting in kind. "Allow me to introduce Princess Entrapta of Dryl."

Entrapta bowed slightly, as she knew was protocol. This Princess was obviously older, and thus deserved a sign of respect.

"Entrapta, this is Princess Hisui of the former kingdom of Nephril," Hordak continued, finishing the formal introduction.

Hisui allowed a smile to touch her painted lips. "I thought you looked familiar, Princess Entrapta," Hisui said fondly. "Your ancestor, Queen Oubliette, and I were childhood friends. You look exactly like her."

Entrapta frowned slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know much about my biological family," she said. "I mean, I suppose I could have learned more than what I was told, but history isn't really something I'm interested in."

"And if it's not of interest, you cannot focus on it, correct?" Princess Hisui asked, a touch of fondness in her voice.

Entrapta stared at the older woman, shocked. "That's right."

Amusement shone in Princess Hisui's eyes. "And I take it Princess Entrapta went through the heating vents, so that is why I did not see her come in, Lord Hordak?"

Hordak blinked. "Indeed."

"Oubliette did the same thing," Princess Hisui said. "She was quite a breath of fresh air, especially for someone from a carefully regimented background." She looked at Hordak meaningfully. "My parents tried to keep us apart, but she would always sneak into the castle. They thought she was a bad influence, but we didn't care. Any sense of humor I may have, I attribute to her."

Hordak had thought he knew Princess Hisui rather well, but all this was new information to him. "Then how did you become a refugee from Sardiyos rather than Dryl, if I may ask?"

Princess Hisui's almond-shaped, dark brown eyes turned sad. "As you know, Lord Hordak, I was thirteen when Nephril's runestone went defunct," she said. "As things got worse for our kingdom, my parents decided that instead of staying and trying to adjust, we would go elsewhere. Since they were dead set on such a plan, I pleaded for us to go to Dryl. I knew Oubliette would welcome us with open arms. My parents refused, seeking aid from Princess _Nyan_ , instead."

Hordak and Princess Hisui shared a look that was hard for Entrapta to interpret. She had never seen such a reaction from Hordak before, his free hand clenching into a fist as the one Entrapta still held with her hair gripped just a little more tightly. His teeth were bared, his eyes glowing with what she recognized as anger, but he wasn't lashing out like he normally did when he was frustrated.

Unsure of what else to do, Entrapta moved her hair thumb, gently stroking Hordak's own made of flesh and blood.

Entrapta watched as Hordak took a deep, shuddering breath and got himself under control. He gazed down at her with a softness that had been creeping into his eyes more and more as time went by.

The entire exchange had not gone unnoticed by Princess Hisui, and she had never missed her consort Jaden more, though she took comfort in seeing that at long last, it seemed Lord Hordak might be finding that same happiness for himself.

"And the rest, as they say, is history," Hordak said, bringing that particular topic to a close for now. "Forgive me for bringing up painful memories."

Princess Hisui waved his concern away. "I have many more happy ones with Oubliette, and seeing her descendant alive and well brings me joy," she said. The she tilted her head slightly. "I take it you have added her to your collection?"

Entrapta watched as Hordak tilted his head back a bit in a way she had come to recognize was him rolling his eyes. "It is NOT a collection," he groused.

Princess Hisui gave Entrapta an amused look. "I take it you've said the same?"

"Yup!"

Hordak curled his free hand into a fist and coughed into it. "Anyway, as it appears you agree with my assessment of Entrapta's character, Princess Hisui, would you kindly take us down?"

Entrapta's eyes widened and her head snapped up to stare at Hordak. "Down?"

There was a sparkle in Princess Hisui's eyes. "I believe you will thoroughly enjoy this, Princess Entrapta," she said before reaching down beside her to unlock the protective casing which was currently only keyed to her and Lord Hordak. The lid of the case flipped up, and she pressed the button that had been molded out of polymers to blend in with the wood of the circulation desk.

The sound of grinding gears and slight squeaking from well-oiled pulleys filled Entrapta's ears as the entire building shook slightly. Entrapta looked up and gasped as she watched the sky above them, visible through the windows at the base of the dome, started to disappear. Her mind raced, making dozens of quick calculations. "We're literally going down," she mused. "Wait, is this entire building on a movable platform?!"

Hordak beamed with pride. "Precisely."

"And that's how it's still here? It can go underground at any time?" Entrapta asked, her voice continuing to rise as her hair frizzed.

"Yes, and yes," Hordak replied. "This was my first project after arriving on Etheria. The one," he hesitated, "that proved how valuable I could be to the then-current monarch."

Even in her excitement, Entrapta caught the trace of sadness in Hordak's voice. She looked at him, and noticed the same weight on his shoulders that had come upon him earlier. She desperately wanted to ask about it, but she was not sure if Hordak would want to talk about it in front of another Princess, so she filed it away for later.

Princess Hisui looked from Entrapta to Hordak and back. She swallowed her irritation, forcing herself to remove any creases of concern from her face. Apparently he had not told Princess Entrapta much about his early days in what was now known as the Fright Zone. Not that Hisui knew everything, of course, but she had been there that fateful day the former capital city had been obliterated by a single, rogue, power-hungry Princess.

The silence, heavy with personal reflection, continued for several minutes before Entrapta broke it. "How far down are we going?" she asked.

"The first sublevel is one mile, roughly 1610 meters, below the planet's surface," Hordak replied.

"First sublevel?" Entrapta echoed. "How many sublevels are there?"

"Four habitable ones, plus an underground lake that services the whole of the Fright Zone," Hordak told her, and Entrapta caught a hint of pride in his voice.

Entrapta's eyes widened. "Did you build them, too?"

Hordak snorted and shook his head. "An army of builders and engineers did, but I was the one who designed it all." He decided this would be a good time to begin the history lesson. "Before what is referred to as 'The Shattering', the Fright Zone was the kingdom of Ceylon. It has always been primarily desert, and the Ceylonians were by and large a nomadic people with a single capital city that functioned as a hub for commerce between tribes, and the Royal Family acted more as arbiters of disputes than actual rulers."

"Ceylonians.. wait, is that what Scorpia is?" Entrapta asked.

"That is the original name of her people, yes. And the survivors who dwell down here still refer to themselves as such," Hordak told her.

"There are more?" Entrapta gently released Hordak's hand, giving him a final caress before using her hair to lift herself up in excitement.

Hordak felt the corners of his mouth starting to twitch upward. "Approximately four-hundred of them according to the last census."

"Four.. hundred?" Entrapta repeated, bouncing up and down in place before suddenly stopping, her face falling. "Scorpia seems to think her people are all gone."

"It is a regrettable necessity," Hordak replied, all traces of amusement gone from his face and posture.

Entrapta stared at him. "Why? That makes no sense!"

"First, Scorpia has ascended to the rank of Force Captain, making her a target for the Rebellion. Second, she cannot keep a secret to save her life. I admire her lack of duplicity, but it makes entrusting her with top secret information difficult," Hordak explained, his arms having gone behind his back and his stance shifted so his feet were a shoulders' width apart as he spoke.

Entrapta took a moment to follow his train of thought. "So if Scorpia was captured, she would likely tell the other Princesses about this place," she said, before looking up at Hordak, who was staring at nothing in particular. "Then why trust me?"

Hordak looked at her out of the corner of his eye, tilting his head slightly so she could try and read his expression a little more easily. "If for no other reason than I know beyond a shadow of a doubt once you see all the technology that makes this place run, you will not hesitate to protect it at all costs. It may not be First Ones' tech, however..."

"It's tech from those other planets you talked about?" Entrapta nearly interrupted him.

Hordak's slight smile returned. "Indeed."

Entrapta let out a cackle, what Hordak privately referred to as her "evil" laugh, before twirling about the area in front of the circulation desk, propelled by her supple hair whipping around her like a tornado.

Princess Hisui had watched the entire exchange, and she dearly wished she could capture this moment, seeing Entrapta turn into a dervish of exhilaration with Lord Hordak looking on with what could only be described as fondness written all over his face. She hated to interrupt the moment. "We're almost at sublevel one," she said, slightly louder than normal to be heard over Entrapta's enthusiasm.

Entrapta wound herself down, coming to a stop next to Hordak. "Before we go, have you had breakfast yet? Though it's nearly lunchtime."

Hordak immediately felt Princess Hisui's amusement as his traitorous blood flooded his cheeks. "Yes, I did," he informed Entrapta, keeping his focus on her.

"Then we should probably grab a nutrient pouch for your lunch, since who knows how long the tour will take if there's five whole levels to go through! I'd go get you one, I saw the tiny refrigeration unit in the back room, but I don't think it will let me in." Entrapta made her way toward the secret panel as she spoke, her hair functioning in lieu of her legs as she sat upon the rest.

Hordak let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Listen to your wife, Lord Hordak. She's just trying to take care of you," Princess Hisui teased, quietly enough so Entrapta wouldn't hear.

"Enough," Hordak grumbled in reply before making his way toward the secured room, making a mental note to add Entrapta's information to yet another of his sanctuaries.

~*~*~*~

"Whoa! Everything's so big!" Entrapta exclaimed in wonder.

Hordak felt a rush of pride at Entrapta's reaction. The moment they left the library, after saying their farewells to Princess Hisui, Entrapta was obviously enthralled by the grandiose entrance to what Hordak considered to be his true kingdom, even though he was only a figurehead when it came to the civilian population.

The entrance chamber had been carved to be massive in order to help protect the library. The ceiling was a good 50 feet in the air, allowing Hordak to be a little ostentatious. A ploy that apparently still worked judging by Entrapta's sounds of awe as she made her way closer to the majestic fountain of lava that had originally been meant to greet visitors from aboveground.

"Do not go much closer," Hordak called out, realizing that Entrapta had neared the splash zone. "The lava is real!"

"It is?!" Entrapta replied, looking back over her shoulder at Hordak, who was approaching at a much slower pace. That was when she realized he had been watching her, gauging her reactions, similar to the way he had back on Solstice when she was opening his gift. "You designed this, didn't you?"

"Yes," Hordak replied, coming up beside her.

They both gazed upwards, taking in the motif before them. The lava cascaded down on three sides of the wide column, each pouring from the mouth of an image carved out of a stone a few shades lighter than the column itself. On the right was a representation of a snakeman, on the left was a bull's head, and in the middle, a humanoid figure with strong, craggy features including thick hair, eyebrows, and an impressive, slightly wavy beard.

"I recognize the carvings on the right and left," Entrapta said, "but who's the guy in the middle?" She looked up at Hordak, and she caught the wistfulness in his expression. Was she finally going to learn why?

"That is Force Captain Scorpia's grandfather, King Toxitail. Or 'Tox', as he was known to his.. friends," Hordak replied.

The pieces clicked into place. "You two were friends," Entrapta said, a statement, not a question.

"We were," Hordak confirmed. He felt the old wounds pull, but if anyone deserved to know the truth, it was Entrapta. "The story outside the Fright Zone of the rise of the Horde is that I staged a hostile takeover. Nothing could be further than the truth. When I came to Etheria, I was a stranger in a strange land. The majority wanted me executed, considered me a threat since I appeared out of nowhere and my ship destroyed part of the capital city, but Tox gave me a roof over my head, and when he saw I wanted to learn about this new world, he taught me."

"So what happened? You mentioned something called 'The Shattering' earlier," Entrapta prompted him.

Hordak gave a deep sigh. "Despite his people being mostly nomadic, Tox himself was a master of forward thinking, and his communication network was second to none. There were rumors that one of the elemental runestones had become corrupt, and its Princess, power hungry. That Princess is the one you heard mentioned before, Princess Nyan. Her runestone was the Fire Ruby." 

Hordak paused for a moment to collect himself, and Entrapta waited with uncharacteristic patience for him to continue, curiosity making her fidget.

"Tox commissioned this entire underground system as soon as he heard that this Princess had gone rogue, leveling entire kingdoms in a single day," Hordak said. "Thankfully, Ceylon was far enough away from the kingdom of Sardiyos, Princess Nyan's stronghold, that we had enough time to prepare. I take it you have noticed the strange formation that almost encases what most people consider to be the Fright Zone?"

"I haven't been outside much," Entrapta told him, "but I did notice it. I always wondered, since the rock formations don't look natural."

"They are not," Hordak confirmed. "The Crag Shell is the result of a massive, magical fireball that immediately glassed, destroyed, Ceylon's entire capital city in one hit. Tox," Hordak paused to clear his throat, "stayed outside until the very last minute letting people into the library. He didn't make it into the building itself, but thankfully the outside pillars shielded him as we went underground. Unfortunately, he was very severely burned." Hordak closed his eyes. "He.. died in my arms. After making me promise I would take care of his people in case his heirs were not up to the task since he didn't have time to properly prepare them, and he knew they wouldn't accept any advice from me. They despised me."

"His heirs?" Entrapta asked, gently reaching out and wrapping a tendril of hair around Hordak's wrist again, tapping for permission against his palm. He splayed his fingers, and her hair whispered between them once more.

"Force Captain Scorpia's parents, Regent Tsavor and Princess Uva. Regent Tsavor was Tox's child, and Princess Uva was Regent Tsavor's cousin. Tox had granted them special permission to marry," Hordak said.

Entrapta hummed thoughtfully. "I saw a picture of them once on Scorpia's dresser. Who was who?"

"Force Captain Scorpia has Princess Uva's white hair, but she favors Regent Tsavor in her build," Hordak replied.

"What happened to them?" Entrapta asked. "Scorpia never talks about it."

Hordak's expression darkened. "Queen Angella mourns the loss of her husband in the battle that broke the will of the Rebellion until recently, yet she appears to believe no one else was lost that day. Or she simply doesn't care because the Horde is her enemy. Although we might not be at war if she had done something to stop Princess Nyan in the first place." He sighed. "Forgive me for going off on a tangent. Long story short, the two fools refused to listen to a word I said, somehow forgot how powerful magic could be even though Regent Tsavor's father died because of it, and tried to face Queen Angella by themselves."

Entrapta's eyes widened. "Queen Angella killed them?"

"King Micah had just fallen. Regent Tsavor took the majority of Queen Angella's grief-stricken blast and literally disintegrated. Despite Regent Tsavor's efforts, Princess Uva was maimed beyond saving. I know you would have found it fascinating, but seeing a person cut in half, vertically, with one part missing and the other still alive was unsettling," Hordak admitted.

"I'm.. sorry that happened," Entrapta said, giving Hordak's hand a little squeeze. "Wait a sec..."

Hordak looked over at Entrapta, and knew precisely what she was figuring out. The hair not currently in his hand was curling as Entrapta circled her index fingers in the air, processing calculations. She froze, then turned to him.

"When Scorpia has mentioned her grandfather, she makes it sound as if she knew him, but by my calculations, he would have died long before she was born," Entrapta said. "How is that possible?"

Hordak replied, so quietly that Entrapta nearly missed it, "It is not her grandfather she is remembering."

Entrapta gave him a questioning look.

"Tox was a big man. Tall, broad-shouldered," Hordak said.

Entrapta thought a moment, then it all clicked. "It was you!"

Hordak nodded in acknowledgement. "Regent Tsavor and Princess Uva were often overwhelmed with the demands of trying to run a kingdom with no prior experience or training, and I simply kept myself busy raising an army above while continuing to make improvements here below as Ceylonian society evolved after The Shattering. Little Scorpia tended to escape the Royal Quarters when she was bored as soon as she was capable of doing so."

Entrapta smiled. "I know anyone else wouldn't believe it, but I have seen the way you are with Imp, so I can."

Hordak snorted. "I do still relish the memory of the looks I received, having an infant clinging to my boot while trying to carry on official business."

"That sounds adorable!" Entrapta exclaimed.

"Admittedly, it helped endear me to the people living here," Hordak said, before clearing his throat. "At any rate, this isn't getting us any farther in the tour, and even though I will only be giving you an overview, there is still a lot to see."

Entrapta gave Hordak's hand one, final squeeze before releasing him and lifting herself up on her hair so she could keep up with Hordak's usual long-legged strides. "Ready when you are!" she declared.

Hordak couldn't help but give her a smile before bowing in a way he knew would amuse her. "Welcome to my kingdom proper, Entrapta of Dryl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take this space and thank everyone who has left kudos and comments on this fic! It really means a lot to me to know others are enjoying the crazy ideas that come into my head. :)


	4. Forging a Partnership

Hordak knew he had made the right decision the moment they passed the lava fountain and entered the Forge Block proper. Entrapta's squeal of delight at seeing the multitude of machines and tech lining the walls of the main pathway from the library to the production area of the forge made him wish he could flatten his ears, but it was so full of delight, he felt his chest swell with pride.

"What does this do? And this? What about this?" Entrapta babbled, shooting questions at him rapid-fire. "I've never seen anything like this before! It makes Dryl's forge area look like it's made of mud and sticks." Entrapta's hair started frizzing as she danced around, finally landing right in front of Hordak. "Tell me everything!"

Hordak found himself chortling as he crossed his arms over his chest. "All in good time, Princess," he said, knowing it would needle her.

"Ooooo," Entrapta fumed. "You're being so mean!"

"I am an evil warlord. It comes with the territory," Hordak replied.

Entrapta blinked. "You're teasing again. In the good way."

Hordak allowed himself a smile. "I have been noticing if I keep my tone dry, you are able to comprehend when I am using humor," he said.

Entrapta blushed. "But I'm serious! I want to know _everything_!"

"I am willing to participate in an exchange of knowledge. However, I believe you will find that 'everything' is a very tall order," Hordak replied.

"We'll see about that!" Entrapta exclaimed, marching ahead of him on her hair-legs in high dudgeon.

Hordak confined himself to a few snickers as he walked along. He never wanted to make Entrapta truly upset. However, he had found a certain enjoyment in teasing her when opportunity presented itself. Tox's style of joking had been boisterous, and in that brief period of time, Hordak had learned what humor even was. Hordak had been in the very early stages of developing his own sense of humor when The Shattering destroyed everything.

Honestly, the last time he had even attempted humor had been on an infant, who could neither understand nor respond, anyway.

Hordak's thoughts were interrupted by another of Entrapta's joyful exclamations. He found himself smiling again, knowing she had reached the first amphitheater.

Entrapta stood, enraptured, as she stared at the sight before her. The room was utterly massive, and she was standing at an opening that led to a wide set of stairs going down at a gentle slope to what appeared to be a fiery pit of lava. Simple machines chugged along the perimeter of the pit and insulated pipes ran not only beneath the floor, but along the walls as well. The room itself was shaped like a huge orb with tiers not unlike what she remembered of the Horde cell block. Every level was teeming with machines and, to her surprise, people of all different Etherian races and species.

Once Hordak reached her side, Entrapta turned to him.

"This is.. I don't know what to call it! Modern marvel sounds so," she paused, waving her hands side-to-side, "banal."

"Now you are beginning to see why it is so important that the Rebellion never learns of this place," Hordak said.

Entrapta's hands dropped, her mind working. "They would destroy it, not knowing or probably even caring how high-tech this place is. I mean, maybe Bow would be able to talk Glimmer out of it, but the others rely on their magic. They would only see this as part of the Horde war machine and all these advances would be lost." She turned to Hordak. "Where have all the people come from?"

"The Residential Block on sublevel 3," Hordak quipped.

"I'm being serious!" Entrapta said.

"So am I," was Hordak's reply. Then he sobered. "The short version is, Ceylon's capital city was always a place for refugees and outcasts. That was apparently Tox's original vision when he was a child and this underground complex was just a boyish dream: to be able to house more of those seeking refuge. Before Princess Nyan's rampage, the need was manageable. After she began destroying kingdom after kingdom, however..." Hordak sighed. "Tox's ultimate vision was to be able to house, feed, and care for anyone who needed it. Regent Tsavor thought he was a fool, and perhaps he was. But Tox truly believed in what he was doing."

"And you believed in his vision," Entrapta said.

Hordak shook his head. "Not at all. But I needed a purpose, and Tox gave me one. I had also seen the benefits of what Tox was trying to do on other planets I had visited in the past. Give people basic needs, and they are easily controlled. Rebels have less of a foot to stand on. It seems to be a universal truth that comfort equals complacency and a society will fight to keep what they have, not risk it by instigating a war where the odds are greatly stacked against them."

Entrapta thought a moment. "So you provide their basic needs, and they provide manpower," she mused.

"Indeed," Hordak replied. "In all honesty, this place only runs at 10% of full capacity because that is all that is currently required to fulfill both military and civilian needs. I designed it so that if this planet ever rejoins the wider universe, we will be in a perfect position to negotiate trade deals within the Horde Empire."

"This is only 10%?" Entrapta breathed.

Hordak shrugged. "Currently the forge is primarily the source of base materials such as metals and glass. Gemstone needs are mostly confined to artisan goods. In the wider universe, however, gemstones can command exorbitant prices depending on the planet."

Just then, there was movement in the central pit. Entrapta stared as a figure even taller than Hordak emerged, adjusting the machines along the perimeter.

Hordak started down the stairs, calling out, "Forgemaster Ajax!"

The figure stopped in place, and Entrapta took the stairs three at a time to catch up to Hordak. Once they had reached the pit area, Entrapta couldn't help but stare. She'd seen Etherians like him before, and only recently learned their particular race were called Taureans. He was a massive, bi-pedal ox with hooves for feet, but humanoid hands. His barrel of a chest was even wider than Hordak's and bulged with muscles. His hide was so deep a black it seemed to suck all but the most vibrant of color out of the air, save for his startling green eyes. All that was impressive enough, but his most imposing feature was a massive pair of inky horns that curved only slightly out from his head before pointing far up towards the sky, the tips sharp enough they could surely gore an enemy with a minimum of effort.

Thus Entrapta was a little unnerved when the Forgemaster bowed, since the movement caused those horns to be pointed straight at her and Hordak. 

"Lord Hordak," the being addressed as Forgemaster Ajax said in a booming voice that practically filled the pit.

Hordak seemed completely at ease. "Commendable work, as always. I apologize for the sudden influx of orders," he said.

The Forgemaster straightened. "Moocella told me about the 'changing of the guard', as it were, in the barracks," he said, "so we were prepared."

Entrapta brightened. "You know Moocella?" she asked.

Ajax turned his eyes on Entrapta, and Hordak directed his attention to her. "Forgemaster Ajax, Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Entrapta, Ajax has been my forgemaster for well over a decade now."

Ajax bowed once more, and this time, Entrapta followed suit, though her bow was more shallow as protocol demanded since she was a Princess. Which Entrapta thought was silly, but she knew how to use manners when she had to.

Once they had both finished their greetings, Ajax smiled warmly. "Moocella is my sister. You must be the little Princess who loves tiny food."

Entrapta clapped her hands happily. Moocella was the head chef of the Horde barracks, and unlike Baker back in Dryl, Moocella seemed to take Entrapta's food preferences as an exciting challenge, seeing just how many foods she could make teeny-tiny. "That would be me. She never told me she had a brother!"

"I'm glad she didn't. It means you didn't hear any embarrassing stories about me before we met face-to-face," Ajax said, then sobered. "Apologies, Lord Hordak."

Hordak waved off his apology. "Nothing to apologize for, Forgemaster. Your sister does an admirable job fulfilling Entrapta's requests."

Ajax gave Hordak a sharp look, which made Hordak want to bite his tongue. He and Forgemaster Ajax had been working together long enough that the Taurean would recognize precisely what the fact that he did not use Entrapta's title meant.

"Thank you, Lord Hordak. We only hope to keep living up to your expectations," Ajax said carefully before turning his attention to the purple-haired Princess. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Princess."

"It's nice meeting you, too!" Entrapta said before bobbing over to one of the machines in the pit area. "What do these do?"

Ajax looked to Hordak, and Hordak nodded. "They are highly-advanced pumps that draw materials from the various layers of the planet," Ajax said. "The materials are then cooled and separated out into their base components before being sent for processing. Metal ore is formed into bars for the Foundry. Other minerals are sent to the gemstone chambers, and of course components for glass and stone are sent to their respective areas."

"Incredible," Entrapta breathed. "Do you do any actual mining?"

Another look, and another nod. "Some, though it is mostly unnecessary," Ajax said. "Our mining is done between the Blocks and ground level, and once we clear an area, it is refilled to continue acting as a buffer in case of attack."

Entrapta's eyes sparkled. "Have you ever found any First Ones' tech?"

If Hordak were any less experienced in acting professional, he would have slapped his forehead with his palm. As it was, a snort of amusement escaped him nonetheless. He should have known. "Go ahead, Forgemaster. Tell her."

Ajax looked as though Hordak had lost his mind before he replied, "Not intact. Though I would not have known what were finding if not for Loo-Kee-Si."

"Loo-Kee-Si?" Entrapta echoed.

"Come with me," Hordak intoned, "and all will be explained."

Once they were on the other side of the amphitheater and heading down a torch-lit hallway, Entrapta once more bounced in front of Hordak. "You've been holding out on me," she said, obviously hurt.

Hordak felt a twinge of conscience. "Not intentionally," he replied. "As Forgemaster Ajax said, the First Ones' tech we have found has been in bits and pieces. I have always considered them useless, but ordered them kept just in case there was a need for them one day. I had assumed your interest only lay in intact tech."

"Well you assumed wrong!" Entrapta said, her voice cracking slightly on the last word. "Who knows how much usable tech might be there? You know I love a good puzzle, and heck! The piece of tech that made my castle go haywire, I had to assemble myself."

It unnerved Hordak how deeply Entrapta's upset was affecting him. He found it difficult to breathe, both of his hearts slowing their pace as the dominant one on his left side pounded heavily with each beat. He knew his ears were now pointed as far back as it was possible to go. It had truly been an oversight. There was only one thing he could think of to do, and thankfully they were away from prying eyes, as far as he could tell.

Hordak went down on one knee, head bent, in a way he had only knelt before one other. He heard Entrapta grow still, felt her confusion. "I offer you my deepest apologies," he said, infusing the words with all the regret in his being.

Entrapta was, for her part, stunned. Hordak's actions forced her to take a mental step back and re-evaluate the situation. His remorse was obviously genuine. He hadn't been hiding anything from her on purpose. She was just so _used_ to people doing it, she had gone down that route without thinking. Forgetting that this was Hordak, her lab partner, who had never done anything but encourage her. Entrapta swallowed, slamming her welding mask down over her face with a tendril of hair before approaching Hordak. She still wore the gloves he had given her. The ones he had made for her with his own two hands.

A moment later, Hordak's world tilted on its axis. His head shot up without conscious thought to see Entrapta's masked face inches away, confirming what he had thought he felt. Her gloved flesh-and-blood hand, resting in the expanse between his neck and shoulder. It had landed gently at first, tentative and ready to fly away at a moment's notice, then gripped more as she gained confidence, fingers at his back and thumb near his shoulder.

Hordak fought back the stinging sensation behind his ocular panels. He knew Entrapta had no way of knowing what she was doing. What such a gesture meant to him. It was both commendation and comfort, a touch he had longed after for decades.

Coming from the only star of brilliance in this Prime-forsaken pocket dimension.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," Entrapta said. "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I have no right to take what others have done to me out on you."

Hordak began to tremble, his head hanging back down as he was overwhelmed with both emotion and old memories. There was a reason he took his rages out on objects rather than lifeforms. He curled into himself as tightly as he could, shivering as he recalled the carnage Horde Prime could leave in his wake when a mission failed. How many times Horde Prime had taken his disappointment out on _him_ when he was barely out of the cloning pod. The youngest ones always seemed to be Prime's primary targets. He phrased it as making stronger soldiers, but that had never felt right to Hordak.

The higher a rank Hordak obtained, the less of a target he became, until he reached General status where the physical punishments morphed into emotional ones. Deprivation, disappointment, rejection, solitary confinement...

Entrapta was completely at a loss. Something about what she'd said seemed to upset Hordak. She went over her words carefully, trying to figure out what had happened. The conclusion she came to stunned her, but it was the only logical solution. Someone at some point must have taken their frustrations out on Hordak, repeatedly. She recognized the beginnings of a panic attack: the way Hordak's entire body shook, his sudden shortness of breath that hitched rapidly before passing his lips, and his seeming lack of awareness of what was going on around him.

Entrapta thought back, trying to remember what her robo-parents had done when she had nightmares as a child. As it came to her, she found herself blushing. They had tried holding her with their arms at first, and although the smooth texture of metal was soothing, the joints accidentally pinched her skin. Eventually they had worked out that wrapping her in the softest blanket available helped.

She didn't have a blanket, but she did have her hair.

Entrapta moved even closer to Hordak, taking a breath for courage before lifting her welding mask and ducking her head slightly. She remembered how Hordak's forehead had felt earlier that day, smooth and almost waxy. She could definitely tolerate that. She breathed in and out a couple more times before bowing her head the rest of the way to rest her forehead against Hordak's.

"C'mon, Hordak, breathe!" she commanded as tendrils of hair slowly began to wrap around him, spinning a cocoon of softness she hoped would bring him comfort. "In. Out. Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm here, Hordak. It's just us. Breathe."

Hordak had felt himself sinking into the morass of his past. He'd even forgotten what had started him down this path in the first place. All he knew was that he felt as though he were actually dying for the first time since he landed on Etheria.

Etheria. That's right. He was not on the Mothership or even part of a Horde Fleet. He was on Etheria. Then there was light, warmth, something touching his forehead that immediately eased something in his soul.

" _C'mon, Hordak! Breathe!_ "

Someone wanted him to breathe. To live.

" _Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm here, Hordak._ "

The voice was familiar. Feminine, slightly nasal. Filled with concern.

" _It's just us._ "

Us. This voice talked about an "us" that seemed to include him. A partnership.

One single name filtered into his consciousness: Entrapta.

His lab partner.

His friend.

Silkiness whispered against his skin, and his shiver this time was one of delight.

The brilliant mind that challenged him, the fearless soul that withstood his temper, the woman who was all soft curves and boundless energy.

The one that if he were whole, hale, healthy, and _not_ a Clone, he would consider taking as his lifemate. As it was, he would savor her presence in his life, every moment precious until Prime, death, or some other uncontrollable force separated them.

"Entrapta," Hordak whispered, his breathing coming slightly easier now, but his voice more of a pained rasp than anything else.

"That's right, Hordak. It's me, Entrapta," Entrapta replied. "Focus, and breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out."

Entrapta repeated the last two words, until Hordak joined her. Relief washed through her as she felt him stabilize, his breathing returning to normal and the tremors that had wracked his body subsiding.

Hordak's field of vision returned as his breathing slowed, both hearts beginning to beat in tandem once more. That was when he realized precisely what Entrapta had done. He had fallen to both knees at some point, and she had wrapped him completely in her hair. It surrounded him from every angle, gently but firmly, applying even pressure like a massive quilt. The feeling was absolute perfection, and he wished he could just spend the rest of his life exactly as he was: in a soft, warm, fresh-smelling cocoon.

Not to mention, he could feel warm puffs of air entering his own space, now breathing in as she breathed out. Imp would do that to him often in the mornings if the little scamp didn't think he was waking fast enough. But this was different. Hordak's gaze went to Entrapta's lips, so plump and slightly parted to let air through. He threw aside the absurd notion of kissing her. She was already likely far beyond her usual comfort zone, and he refused to take further advantage of her. Not that he would even know what in the universe he was doing. He only knew it as an Etherian sign of affection, a lip-kiss being more intimate than one on the cheek or forehead. The exact mechanics? He had absolutely no idea.

Oblivious to her partner's train of thought, Entrapta used her hair to assess his condition. Relief filled her as his vital signs returned to normal, save for a slightly accelerated heartbeat. Then she felt his gaze on her lips, and she had the feeling it only had a little to do with his consideration for not looking her directly in the eye. Color flooded her cheeks as the thought occurred to her that maybe he was deciding whether or not she would be receptive to a kiss.

Entrapta forced herself to pull away, out of kissing range, despite a part of her crying out in protest. She had already made massive strides that day, and she had to remind herself that pushing too hard could cause a relapse in her targeted, self-imposed therapy. She also reminded herself there was no need to rush. The portal project would not be complete for a while, despite the rapid clip at which they'd been making progress. Even then, there were other projects they could work on together. Like improving on the tech already in place around the Fright Zone! That would be a good start.

Hordak stirred, but Entrapta did not release him quite yet.

"I'm sorry," Entrapta said.

Hordak shook his head. "It's not your fault I am so.. weak." Shame and bitterness infused the final word.

"Weak? Hah! Not you!" Entrapta replied, allowing her hair to briefly squeeze Hordak just a little bit tighter for a moment. "Listen, I might not know exactly what you're dealing with, but a weak person would have given up long ago. Yet here you are, actively ruling a kingdom after landing here with no knowledge of Etheria at all. You keep your armies in line AND you're building a drossing portal machine! So don't give me that scrap."

Hordak chuckled, finally raising his head far enough to look at her properly. "It is quite amusing when you are trying not to use actual profanity."

"Oh, you..!" Entrapta huffed, sitting back on her heels and fisting her hands on her hips. "Fine! Just for that, I'm declaring a lunch break."

"I thought you wanted to sift through my trash heap of First Ones' tech shards as soon as possible," Hordak said.

"I do," Entrapta replied. "However, that took a lot out of me, so it must have taken even more out of you." She slowly unwound her hair from around Hordak, letting the majority of it slither across the floor while two lengths searched the pockets of her overalls to find what she was looking for. "Ah-ha!" she declared, fishing out both Hordak's nutrient pouch and tubing, as well as a baggie full of tiny sandwiches and a bottle of snozzberry soda. She sat the rest of the way onto the floor and settled against the wall, one of her newly-retrieved tendrils patting the space beside her. "Come and sit over here with me."

Hordak knew he had little choice, though he wasn't against any of Entrapta's propositions at all. He moved with agonizing slowness, realizing he might have bent a circuit or pinched a wire in his knee that he would have to iron out before they continued. He made a face, trying not to sigh at how pathetic he must look.

"Need a hand? Or some hair?" Entrapta asked, her lunch in her lap and his pouch suspended on a tendril at just the right height.

"I'm afraid so," Hordak admitted.

"You did slam that knee down pretty hard," Entrapta said, carefully winding a thick length of hair around his waist. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note that while his pale flesh was waxy, the blue areas were more like leather in feel and texture. An interesting difference, to be sure. Rather like the fact that the underside of his fingers, his palms and she guessed the soles of his feet were patterned like scales, which would be useful in helping to grip surfaces.

The more Entrapta learned about Hordak, the more determined she became to learn _everything_ about him.

Hordak snapped his mouth closed, gritting his teeth as Entrapta's hair passed just below his ribs. He refused to let her know he was actually ticklish there. Imp had enough fun tormenting him that way. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that payback was a putrid pooka, since Imp was also ticklish, and not just his ribs.

The moment Hordak's back touched the wall, Entrapta's hair retreated, allowing him to use his cloak as a privacy shield while he grasped the dangling tubing and fastened it to his lower left abdominal port. He reached to take the pouch itself.

"I can hold it," Entrapta said. "You just sit back and relax."

Hordak obeyed, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. Despite the cloak, he felt painfully exposed. Thankfully, very few ever used the corridors that led to the elevators during working hours, and even fewer knew the Artifact Room existed.

Hordak glanced over at Entrapta, marveling not for the first time at her fixation with tiny food. Moocella had apparently made finger sandwiches and cut them into quarters to be small enough for Entrapta.

Just one of the many mysteries he hoped to unravel someday during their continued association.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick explanation before the fic continues: I have taken inspiration from various races in the original 1980's She-ra, but like in the reboot, their backgrounds and histories have been tailored to fit with the reboot-'verse. So any differences are on purpose to follow the concept of a reboot. (For example, in Chapter 3, instead of the Magicats living in an underground city called Halfmoon, I gave them the kingdom of Sardiyos. Kudos to any who picked up on the tiny hint I put in the text!)
> 
> Also, I cannot claim credit for Hordak's leg armor actually being prosthetics in my writing. It was a drawing on tumblr by user huv-bitb that the moment I saw it, I went "headcanon accepted!" since it made perfect sense to me and explained why we never see him with it off. The link to it is here: https://huv-bitb.tumblr.com/post/189588945609/hordak-with-prosthetic-legs


	5. Buried Treasure

Once lunch was over, Hordak directed Entrapta to the nearest trash chute, and once she had her back turned, he discreetly slid the retractable claws on his thumbs behind the metal plating of his knee cap. He had assessed the damage while he was digesting, tracing it back to thankfully just a pinched wire. A quick readjustment of the metal brackets on either side of said wire, and the damage was undone.

Hordak knew there would come a day Entrapta would discover the full extent of the havoc that had been wreaked on his organic body over time. However, he would prefer her to see him as at least functional for as long as possible. Not to mention, she would also want to study the structure of his self-made cybernetics, and he was thankful he actually kept some of them that had worn out beyond repair that he could give her so he wouldn't be confined to his quarters if Entrapta took it into her head to tinker.

Hordak braced himself to stand up when he was halted by Entrapta's voice as she returned.

"Stay there! Let me help you," she called, once again using her hair for rapid locomotion.

"I am fine," Hordak stated with a sigh. "It was just a pinched wire, which I have repaired."

"Still, it's easier for me," Entrapta said, separating off and wrapping a length of hair around his waist again and hoisting him upright before he even had a chance to object.

Hordak knew he should put his foot down, reestablish his dominance, but in his heart of hearts, he didn't want to. He was just so _tired_ of struggling on alone. Anyone who did not know Entrapta would think this nurturing side of her out of character, but he had seen the way she treated both her bot Emily and now Imp. It seemed that somehow he had been added to her roster.

Entrapta's eyes widened as she realized what she had done after watching Hordak just stand there for a moment after she literally picked him up and put him on his feet. "I should have asked you more specifically, shouldn't I?"

"I was simply unprepared," Hordak replied, finding both his mental and physical footing again. "Your reasoning was sound. It is indeed much less effort for you to use a single tendril of hair than for me to exert my entire body to stand. Next time, I will already be aware of the kind of assistance you are offering."

Entrapta immediately brightened. She hadn't missed the way Hordak said "next time". "And I'll be more specific," she said.

"Then we have a deal," Hordak said, a slight smile hovering around the corners of his mouth. "Now, shall we continue?"

"Of course! Now I'm re-energized and ready to dive into an entire mountain of First Ones' tech!" Entrapta enthused, bouncing up and down on her hair-legs.

Hordak pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against. "Follow me," was all he said.

Just a few steps ahead, what looked like a massive pillar loomed out of the darkness. Entrapta had noticed it on her way to the trash chute, but her focus had been more on her task and getting back to Hordak. They headed towards said pillar, gleaming white with a slight mechanical hum, but at the last possible moment, Hordak turned to his left and walked right through the wall!

Entrapta carefully stepped up to where he had disappeared, then formed and clapped two hair hands in glee as she recognized the illusion. The pattern of the wall had been created specifically to hide the fact that one could walk toward the wall, then turn left once more and find themselves in another hallway altogether. Once she had navigated through the space, she found Hordak waiting for her, that fond smile, as she privately called it, touching his lips once again. "A super secret area!" she enthused. "Now I'm really intrigued!"

"It was made to protect from both fools who would stumble around and get lost, as well as any casual thieves. The Artifact Room does not only hold broken pieces of First Ones' tech, but any artifacts that are found, mostly by excavation, though some fleeing their kingdoms brought cultural pieces with them that are also stored here," Hordak said.

"What kind of name is Loo-Kee-Si?" Entrapta asked.

"You will meet her momentarily," Hordak replied.

What had seemed to be an unending expanse of wall on either side was soon interrupted by a very plain-looking door, but Entrapta knew there was more than met the casual eye. The door was designed to look like wood, but she recognized guntium, one of the rarest, strongest metals in Etheria, on sight. "Okay, now that's impressive."

Hordak knew he had to wipe the smile off his face, but it was difficult. Of course Entrapta would see right through the ruse of the "flimsy" door. "Give me a moment, and I will key your information to this door so you can come and go as you please," he said.

"You're giving me full access?" Entrapta asked, slightly breathless.

Hordak shrugged as he placed his hand on a brick at roughly shoulder height for him. The brick glowed, outlining his hand before two bricks above slid to each side, revealing an electronic panel. "It will be more convenient than dragging me down here, or hoping Loo-Kee-Si hears you when you need to retrieve more shards," he said. "The other artifacts are of cultural relevance. Any material you might need that you could procure from them is much more easily accessed with a simple request for the base item. So I would ask you not melt down any golden statues when you can easily get dozens of bars from the forge."

Entrapta felt warmth spread from her head to her toes, not only that Hordak trusted her, but that he had pegged her so well. He understood her drive to always use the right tools and materials, as well as her tendency to work smarter, rather than harder.

Hordak stepped aside and gestured Entrapta forward. "Place either your hand or your hair on the glowing brick," he instructed. "If you use your hair, make sure you can replicate the shape exactly, or the identification will fail."

Entrapta lowered herself onto the floor, freeing her hair as she took a few steps forward to stand in front of the entrance panel. She made her typical hair-hand from her right ponytail and placed the palm of it against the brick. The light grew stronger, then flashed, before settling into a pulse.

"Wait until it stops pulsing," Hordak said.

Entrapta did so, holding her hair-hand there until the brick dimmed.

"You can move now. Just don't forget which brick to touch," Hordak told her.

Entrapta nodded, reclaiming her hair as something clicked on the opposite side of the door before the portal swung open of its own accord.

Hordak led the way, Entrapta following behind him, her gloved hands waving side-to-side as excitement coursed through her.

What greeted them was two large walls spreading up to the ceiling covered in tiny drawers, leaving just enough space for a person to walk single-file between them. In front of the wall, a small desk was front-and-center with several tables on either side. The tables were littered with pieces of various projects, like a selection of partly-finished jigsaw puzzles.

"Oh, who could that be?" a disembodied voice muttered. 

Hordak simply stood with his arms crossed, indicating to Entrapta that such oddness was normal for this room. Entrapta looked around, trying to decipher the source. Then she caught it, the flash of light against some sort of reflective surface about halfway up the wall.

When it seemed the source of the voice was not about to move or speak more, Hordak put on what he called his "martial" tone, as if he were speaking to a wayward force captain. "Archivist Si, there is someone I would like you to meet."

"Oh. OH! Uh, oops... Eek!"

Entrapta watched in fascination as whatever had been clinging to the wall teetered, tottered, then apparently tumbled down the side wall that met the drawer-covered surface at a ninety-degree angle. 

Entrapta cocked her head, intrigued as the small body came to a stop, obviously dazed by their fall. The being addressed as Archivist Si likely stood maybe a little higher than Entrapta's knee. The reflection seen earlier was from a pair of thick spectacles that had now been knocked askew. Messy medium blue hair that likely had not seen a brush for years haloed her face, one single streak of lighter blue rising from the hairline above her right temple. Peachy skin, dark eyes, and a bright red nose completed her facial features. She was clad in a robe that matched the color of her nose, and blue slippers peeked out from the hem. Entrapta had also noticed yellow socks trimmed in a green zig-zag pattern during the being's fall.

"Are you in one piece, Archivist Si?" Hordak asked. The first time he had seen the archivist fall, he had been concerned. However, this happened every single time he entered the room to some degree. One would think the little creature would eventually figure out she wasn't as nimble as she had been in her youth.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Archivist Si replied in her high-pitched voice, waving a hand in the air before slowly getting to her feet.

Entrapta noticed with a little bit of awe that every finger on the archivist's hand bore at least three rings in a repeating sequence of green, yellow, and red.

"Entrapta, meet Archivist Loo-Kee-Si. Archivist Si, Princess Entrapta of Dryl," Hordak said, once he was sure the archivist would comprehend his words.

Archivist Si peered through her spectacles as she straightened them. "Oh dearie me, a Princess!" she exclaimed, seemingly a little startled.

"She is an ally of the Horde," Hordak continued.

That seemed to set the archivist at ease. "She is? Oh, that's right. You said Dryl! They don't have any grudges against us." Loo-Kee-Si came out from behind the tables, going up to Entrapta and seeming to examine her. "Do you?"

"Not at all," Entrapta said. "What are you, anyway?"

Loo-Kee-Si blinked. "Why, I'm a Kon-Seal, of course! Then again, we're pretty hard to find, despite the population explosion we've had since leaving Beast Island. No longer being food for predators, whether flesh or soil, helps."

"I've heard of Beast Island before," Entrapta said, then turned to Hordak. "It's real?"

"Very real," Hordak replied. "I have never been there myself, for obvious reasons. However, it isn't just a threat according to unmanned drones I have sent to scout the area. That is how I learned of the Kon-Seals' existence in the first place. One of them snuck a ride back on one of the drones!"

Loo-Kee-Si sighed. "My nephew. He's always seeking adventure. Even now, he prefers to live in the Whispering Woods rather than here where it's safe," she tsked, shaking her head.

"So why does Hordak call you 'Si' if your name is 'Loo-Kee-Si'?" Entrapta asked.

"Si is my birth name," the archivist said. "My clan is 'Loo-Kee'. There are at least a dozen clans still in existence. You can just call me 'Si'. Everyone who is not a Kon-Seal does."

"Then it's nice to meet you, Si," Entrapta said, fighting back the urge to squeal now that the archivist was up close. A tiny race Entrapta had never heard of? It was amazing!

"A-hem. As illuminating as this conversation is, I have given Entrapta permission to access the shards of First Ones' tech we have stored here." Hordak looked down at Loo-Kee-Si, catching her worried look. "Do not concern yourself, Archivist. Entrapta has her own lab to work in with the necessary tools."

Relief spread across Loo-Kee-Si's features. "Thank you, Lord Hordak." She dipped into a somewhat wobbly curtsy, holding the sides of her robes out like a dress.

"I will show Entrapta the way, if you would prefer to return to your current project," Hordak continued.

Loo-Kee-Si's eyes lit up. "The newest shipment of artifacts from the former kingdom of Sardiyos just came in, and it's teeming with goods I've never seen before. This might lead to a discovery of how or why its runestone became corrupted. Oh what a joy that would be!" The archivist clapped her hands, then pivoted to all but skip back over to the tables laden with pieces of treasure.

Entrapta smiled. "I can see why she's in charge of this place," she said.

"Her zeal is vaguely familiar," Hordak replied, the light Entrapta now recognized as good-teasing shining in his eyes. "As is her propensity to fall from high places."

"I'd be mad at you, but I'm way too excited to get my hands on that First Ones' tech!" Entrapta replied, trying a little bit of teasing, herself.

Hordak's smile reappeared, and Entrapta echoed it. She had successfully made a joke!

"Then I had better lead you to them," Hordak said. "Universe forbid you ever stay mad at me."

Entrapta blushed, snaking a hair hand into Hordak's flesh-and-bone one. "I don't think that's possible," she admitted.

Hordak lightly squeezed the silky length currently resting in his palm, silently thanking her for the reassurance before starting forward, letting his fingers go slack so she could pull back.

Entrapta did not, slipping her hair-digits between his instead as she walked behind him so they could pass through the narrow gap before them.

A very mild wash of color crossed Hordak's cheekbones, and he was thankful Archivist Si was too engrossed in her work to notice as he led Entrapta further into the room, past the desk and initial wall of drawers.

~*~*~*~

Rows upon rows of shelving packed tightly with stacked cardboard boxes greeted them. Entrapta looked on in wonder, noting how it was only the shelves against the wall that held completed pieces, even if she could not make out any details from where they were walking. They were roughly halfway between the door and the back wall when the flimsy brown boxes gave way to a sea of shining copper and steel.

"Here is your new domain," Hordak said.

A cry of absolute delight passed Entrapta's lips, and her hair snaked out of his hand to allow its mistress to roam completely free. She went up to the nearest steel shelving unit to peer at the neatly-stacked boxes, two high and six wide on each platform. She inspected the odd boxes, realizing they were made out of plastic that had been impregnated with copper mesh. "These are all made with the principles of electromagnetic shielding in mind," she observed, sounding a little out of breath.

"Indeed," Hordak replied. "When they first started coming out of the ground, I recognized them as tech of some sort, but I have never seen anything exactly like it in all my travels. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Thus, the boxes."

"Which means they should be perfectly preserved, if not fully recharged!" Entrapta exclaimed. Then she looked around, and the enormity of the space seemed to hit her. "Are _all_ these First Ones' tech parts?!"

"All of them," Hordak confirmed. "You are looking at decades of mining debris, waiting here for someone able to carry out the restoration without potentially blowing up half the Fright Zone if something goes amiss."

"Nah, I've had at least my private lab reinforced, so at worst I would take out maybe a tenth of what's aboveground," Entrapta said, poking at a box.

Hordak knew that remark should have made him nervous, but he was well aware of Entrapta's propensity for explosions, and she had never blown up anything that couldn't be replaced. She was better at localized destruction than she gave herself credit for. "If we take a couple of boxes with us, will you still be able to focus on other things? Or should we simply take what we can, and end the tour for now?"

A warm and what Entrapta could only call a "fuzzy" feeling spread from the vicinity of her chest down to her toes. If there had ever been any doubt that Hordak understood her better than any other being on Etheria, this would have dismantled it entirely. She knew he was eager to keep showing her the vastness of the true Fright Zone, but he was willing to put it aside for her passion.

As much as she was dying to start putting pieces of First Ones' tech together, it could wait a few hours. It was only mid-day, so there would be plenty of time to work after the tour. Besides, he was being considerate of her. The least she could do was return the favor. They were partners, after all.

"I can focus," Entrapta assured Hordak, who looked a little surprised. "Getting through all this will take me _years_! A few more hours won't make any difference in the grand scheme of things." Entrapta sized up the boxes. "Don't worry about carrying any. I can fit four in sealable pockets of my coveralls if I actually use the top afterward to keep them up."

Hordak had been fully prepared to end the tour, so Entrapta's response stunned him, to the point he only half-heard the rest of her speech. It wasn't until it was too late that the words registered, and he found himself staring in blatant curiosity as Entrapta picked up a box with a couple of hair tendrils and quite literally shoved it down her trousers, or at least, one leg of them. Entrapta repeated the gesture, putting another box in the same leg before switching and putting two more in the other one. Her coveralls started to slip with the extra weight, but Entrapta caught them with ease, sliding her arms through the straps that normally hung loose and pulling them up to her shoulders.

Hordak found himself blushing and finally turned away. He was thankful she did not wear her coveralls in such a way all the time. The front of them rose up underneath her breasts, defining them even more clearly. The rest of the tour was going to be mild torture, but he would endure it.

He would do anything to continue seeing such utter joy on her face.

~*~*~*~

They made their way back to the elevator, and this time, Entrapta took a good look at it. She was familiar with the rudimentary concepts, and experimented with similar things like dumbwaiters, but she had never seen an actual, honest-to-goodness elevator before. She peered through the white-frosted glass as Hordak pushed one of two green buttons off to the left side of a set of double-doors that would likely open when there was a compartment or platform ready for boarding.

"This uses similar tech to the library platform, doesn't it?" Entrapta asked.

Hordak nodded. "Indeed. The primary operation system is mechanical, but there is also a backup system based on pneumatic principles in case the mechanics fail."

"You've studied pneumatics?" Entrapta asked, awe tinging her voice.

Hordak shrugged. "The principles are in active use as far as my species is concerned, if thought to be slightly old-fashioned. Mechanics in general are considered obsolete to them. In fact, I was often taken to task for reading "outdated materials" out of sheer curiosity. However, my quest for knowledge ended up preparing me for being stranded on a planet without the tech I took for granted and no way to access the materials for more advanced technology."

"Speaking of materials," Entrapta said, "you mentioned the forge back there was operating at only 10% capacity, but everything seemed to be running, at least as far as I could see."

"Precisely," Hordak said with a smile. "That was only amphitheatre #1. There are nine more placed around the chamber where the library goes, rather like the petals of a flower."

The tiny "thinking" line between Entrapta's eyebrows appeared. "Which would make even more sense in case of attack, since if one amphitheater is damaged, the others can continue production."

"Correct," Hordak replied, unable to hide the pride in his voice. It was so good to hold a conversation with someone he didn't have to dumb down concepts in order for them to understand! "We can also expand outward if necessary."

"Now I know what you mean when you say I think too small," Entrapta said, smiling at him to let him know she wasn't upset by his words. "You're used to thinking on, I suppose you could call it, a universal scale."

"Such is not your fault. You are simply limited by being confined to a pocket dimension," Hordak admitted. "I sincerely hope someday to be able to assist you in expanding your horizons."

Entrapta slipped a hair hand from her left ponytail into Hordak's right flesh and bone again, blushing slightly. "You already are," she told him.

The moment was interrupted by a chime, and the double doors sliding open.

Entrapta's eyes flicked from Hordak's face to his hand. "I'm not bothering you with this, am I? And I don't know where we're going, so should I stop?"

"You are not 'bothering' me," Hordak swiftly replied, eager to reassure her, and emphasizing his point by gently squeezing the hair that wound about his palm and fingers so naturally. "I find it," he paused, trying to use a word that would not imply more than Entrapta might be willing to accept, "enjoyable. Soothing." The tips of his ears burned like wildfire, but he refused to take it back. "I am unused to touch from anyone except Imp," he admitted. "I am honored that you would choose me as your partner in this experiment."

Suddenly, the double doors started closing, and Hordak quickly put his foot out, forcing them to slide back.

Entrapta chuckled. "Guess we'd better get on," she said.

There was a brief pause as they boarded, Entrapta withdrawing her hair hand long enough for them to enter and turn before sliding its twin on the right side into Hordak's left hand this time, freeing his right to press a button on a panel beside the doors.

As the elevator started its apparent descent, Entrapta continued with what she had been going to say. "Who better to experiment with than my lab partner?" she asked, beaming up at him.

Hordak's slight blush reached full bloom as he had to once again rapidly marshal his thoughts, shoving down nebulous ideas of experimentation far beyond their current status as they flashed in his mind's eye. "Indeed," he finally intoned, smiling back down at her despite his cheek muscles hurting, unused as they were to such exercise.

A minute or two later, the elevator chimed again, the doors sliding back to reveal the next leg of their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of an update yesterday! My brain decided to go on strike (which it does sometimes), so it wouldn't let me do any editing. I'm trying to keep on a daily schedule until I've posted this entire story. *crosses fingers hopefully* Thanks for your patience!


	6. Talking Shop

"This is amazing," Entrapta breathed, drawing out the second 'a' of 'amazing' and turning it into a sound of total awe.

The floor leading from the elevator was paved with brick in hues of cream in a line down the middle, tan on either side, and the edges roughly five bricks wide were a faded rose. Those same bricks were laid in a staggered pattern going up the walls on either side of the very short corridor that led to a cacophony of sound, color, and movement.

Entrapta was snapped out of her trance by the doors trying to close again, and the thump as they hit Hordak's boot.

"Sorry," Entrapta said with a blush.

"It can be a bit overwhelming at first glance," Hordak told her. "Let us step out, and I can explain more." He flexed his hand, allowing Entrapta to unwind her hair hand, but she did not, even when he stepped forward. So he gently curled his fingers again and led her out of the elevator.

Once they were on the brick path and the elevators doors had whooshed shut behind them, Hordak continued.

"There will be a lot of stimuli. I can just explain things if it would be easier for you."

Entrapta shook her head. "I want to see. Besides, it's not like I'm going by myself. I have my big, strong lab partner with me. I'm sure he'll keep me safe."

The smile on Entrapta's face and the look of absolute trust in her beautiful red-violet eyes made Hordak feel like his insides were melting in a way that was not unpleasant in the least. He fought down all the self-criticism that threatened to pass his lips. He knew that between his armor and demeanor no one would lay a finger on her, but he was also keenly aware of his underlying frailty.

Still, he would fight to the last breath in his body to keep her safe.

"I will," Hordak vowed. "If anyone bothers you, they will answer to me."

"That's all I need to know," Entrapta said. "So what is this place?"

Hordak looked out, taking in the massive, tiered marketplace before them, focusing on the fountain of greenery that stood front-and-center to help improve air quality and be decorative at the same time. "This is the civilian trade district. The residents simply call it 'The Bazaar'. It is based on Trade Fairs that used to be held all over Ceylon, but they are all gathered together in one place now since aboveground is so inhospitable. Everything from things that improve one's quality of life to fripperies can be found here."

"So it's basically a whole bunch of shops gathered together?" Entrapta asked. "In Dryl, the shops are the ground floor of residential buildings."

"Here they are separate," Hordak said. "It allows shopkeepers to be able to go home and relax, rather than being forced to stay in the same area all the time. I have found it reduces burnout, as well as promoting family bonds."

Entrapta looked up at him, confused. "I wouldn't think you would be concerned with things like that."

"Civilians work harder in close-knit family groups," Hordak told her. "They want to provide for their families beyond the very basics, and children grow up in a more stable environment, leading to healthier, more well-adjusted adults. This is especially important to those who have been displaced from their homelands."

Entrapta shook her head. "The Rebellion would never believe the real Horde battle plan," she said. "I may not be much of a strategist when it comes to organic beings, but even I know that people cling to stability in the midst of a war."

"The Rebellion chooses to believe I wish the destruction of Etheria," Hordak said. "Destroying the planet does no one any good, especially when it could be used as a resource in both materials and manpower. My aim is conquest, and yes, force is used, but casualties are to be kept to a minimum. In fact, Force Captains and Commanders are held accountable for any body counts. Too many, and they are demoted."

"You would rather they be disenfranchised. 'Easy pickings', to be blunt," Entrapta mused.

"And when the Princesses refuse to aid, rumor of Horde generosity reaches receptive ears," Hordak said, one corner of his mouth curling in triumph.

Entrapta's entire face lit up. "It's diabolical. It's _brilliant_!"

Hordak could feel his ears lowering slightly as a faint dusting of color crossed his cheekbones. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"I mean it," Entrapta said, squeezing his hand. "Now I can't wait to see the effects of this social experiment. I can learn so much!" Now she was the one who started forward, dragging Hordak along behind her.

Only to stop at the sheer riot of color, the crush of bodies, and a myriad of voices calling out, hawking their wares. Although the shops were arranged similarly to the machines in the forge in the same configuration, each one had their own distinctive qualities. Some were built of stone, others of what was obviously scrap and metal, but most were made out of what must have once been tents in all sorts of fabrics with garish designs both painted and embroidered.

"Ceylonians tend to us the traditional tent-like style," Hordak said. "Taureans and Magicats prefer stone, while Snake Men and other reptilians utilize salvage. You will also see the occasional fully-wooden structure as we go along. Those belong to Kon-Seals. Each race that finds a home here develops their own style. Then you have the individual settlers who simply build to their taste. Salineans lean toward sand and shells, Plumerians utilize greenery, while those technically under Brightmoon rule tend to choose mud-and-thatch. In fact, that central structure was created with the help of a former Plumerian."

"You'll probably have to remind me later," Entrapta told him, looking a little embarrassed.

Hordak coughed into his free fist. "Forgive my rambling."

"It's all right. I know how it is." Entrapta kept her head down, a tendril of hair hovering above her welding mask as a shy smile crossed her lips. "You finally find someone who will listen, and the words just keep coming."

"Precisely," Hordak rumbled, hoping the warmth he felt was being communicated to the woman beside him.

The moment was interrupted by a voice calling out, "Lord Hordak! What a pleasssant sssurprise!"

Entrapta looked up, and her eyes went wide. She had seen Snake Men before, but none with so flamboyant a color scheme. His head and nose were a vibrant red, while his lower jaw and a stripe of color down the front of his throat that spread across his chest were bright yellow. Those colors melded into an intense orange covering the rest of his neck until a sea of green similar in color to the decorative foliage before them swallowed the lighter color at the base and disappeared beneath the ruby-toned vest he wore. His arms and hands were primarily a striking peacock blue with a stripe of red, yellow, and orange scales creating a tone similar to an open flame down the outside of his bicep and forearm to stop at his wrists. Said stripe was bordered and occasionally interrupted with spots of black. Apparently to make up for the lack of a single color out of the rainbow, he wore a pair of loose, drop-crotch pants of a shimmering royal purple that somehow didn't clash with his vest. Ruby shoes that looked more like slippers embroidered with some sort of silvery thread completed the ensemble. Well, save for the multitude of necklaces in all different metals and dripping with charms and pendants that hung around his neck.

The Snake Man bowed low, almost ingratiating, before them with a sweeping gesture. Entrapta was sure that if he had a hat, he would have doffed it.

"Trademaster Slyder," Hordak said, merely inclining his head, letting Entrapta know that the Snake Man's show was typical for him. "Quite the crowd today."

"Yesss, indeed. Trade hasss been brisssk, and mossst merchantsss have been ssseeing record profit," the trademaster replied. "The Horde War Machine is ideal for businessss, asss alwaysss." The Snake Man addressed as Slyder straightened. "And who may I asssk isss thisss visssion of lovelinessss?"

Entrapta eyed Slyder warily. She had encountered his type before, and they tended to try and be very touchy-feely.

"Trademaster Slyder, this is Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Entrapta, Trademaster Slyder," Hordak said, making the formal introductions but also keeping an eye on the trademaster.

"It is a pleasssure to make your acquaintance, Princessss," Slyder said, bowing once again, but also reaching out his hand as if to take hers.

Entrapta quickly intercepted him, placing a length of hair in his hand instead. She had also noticed the way Hordak had taken a step forward in her defense, and felt color rising in her cheeks. "Nice to meet you, too," Entrapta replied, refusing to try and match the trademaster's flowery speech.

Slyder looked startled for a second, then swept a shrewd glance over Entrapta, his gaze drawn to the gloves on her hands. "Ah, forgive me, Princessss," he said, before kissing the length of hair in his hand. "I had not realized you don't like to be touched."

"Not by strangers," Entrapta told him. "Or people I've just met," she quickly amended.

A sly smile spread across Slyder's features. "Ah, no wonder ssshe is at your ssside, Lord Hordak. Clevernessss isss most definitely an asssset." The trademaster straightened, dropping his hand so Entrapta could reclaim her lock of hair. "Isss there anything in ssspecific you are looking for today?" he asked, fixing his gaze between them.

"Not today, Trademaster," Hordak replied. "I am merely giving Princess Entrapta a tour of the full Fright Zone."

"Ah," Slyder said, appraising them both. "Well, asss alwaysss, feel free to look around. Purchasssesss made by Lord Hordak himself alwaysss give a merchant a boossst in businessss for a few daysss afterward, asss you well know, my lord." The tradesman addressed this last bit to Hordak himself.

"Indeed. Keep up the excellent work, Tradesman Slyder," Hordak said.

Slyder gave them one last bow before somehow melting back into the crowd despite his loud color scheme.

Entrapta shivered once he was gone. "He gives me the creeps," she said, crossing one arm over her chest to rub her bicep.

"That is due to your keen powers of observation," Hordak told her. He had the absurd impulse to just wrap her up in his cape to warm and protect her, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate it. Or so he thought.

Entrapta eyed the crush of people milling about. She really wanted to see the marketplace, but now that she was almost in the thick of it, there was so much stimuli, she didn't know if she could handle it. That was when she had a brilliant idea. "Hordak?"

"Yes?" Hordak replied.

Entrapta blushed slightly, her hair forming hands to twiddle her hair-thumbs as she repeatedly tapped the tips of her actual index fingers together, a flock of butterflies seeming to have taken up residence in her stomach. "I know this is gonna sound weird, and if it's going to tire you out you can say no, but could you," she paused gathering her remaining courage, "hold your cape around me, kind of like a curtain?"

Hordak was absolutely stunned. His mouth worked, but no words came out. He could see Entrapta's shoulders start to rise self-consciously, and knew she was about to take back what she had said. All he could think to do was raise his right arm, holding the edge of his cape out.

Entrapta caught the movement, and stared up at him in surprise, which quickly transformed into a radiant smile.

Hordak cleared his throat. "I had thought of offering something similar, but you would have to stand fairly close to me for this to work," he finally managed to say.

"I like being close to you," Entrapta said, then her eyes widened and she blushed furiously. There was no taking it back now, and it was the honest truth.

["I like being close to you" by cinamoncune](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com/post/614662935367794688/hordak-cleared-his-throat-i-had-thought-of)

"You.. do?" Hordak's arm wavered.

Everyone Entrapta knew always called her fearless, and they had been right up to this point. It was unsettling, feeling nervous and unsure, which was why she tended to either avoid or distance herself from social situations. There was a part of her deep down inside that had always wished for a true friend, but the concept was just an abstract until now. And it went even farther than that. Hordak didn't try to change her, didn't simply humor her. Not only that, he actively thought about her comfort, and she had been doing the same for him.

Entrapta put a hand over her heart and stepped closer, wanting to reassure Hordak that she meant what she said even, though putting those emotions into words was difficult. She kept moving until there was only a handful of centimeters between them.

Hordak could feel his hearts pounding, and he cursed the telltale color that came so easily to his cheeks thanks to his pale skin. Entrapta looked so vulnerable in the wake of her admission, and he was trying to process it. She actually liked being physically close to him? The last person who even dared was long dead. Even though he wavered, as soon as Entrapta was close enough, he circled his arm so that the dark fabric of his cloak surrounded her, cutting off most of the sight of the crowd and muffling some of the sound. Hordak made sure not to let the cloth actually touch her since it was made solely of cotton, the lining not made of _poa_ cloth. He refused to cause her any physical discomfort.

"May I put my hair around you? I..." Entrapta swallowed, fighting down the self-doubt she could usually ignore. "I don't want us to get separated."

Hordak could see her point, especially in the crush of bodies. He would be able to cut a path with both his stature and demeanor, but Entrapta's energy that normally made her seem bigger than life had all gone into nerves, shrinking her down to her actual physical size. Which was positively tiny compared to him.

Now he was starting to understand her obsession with tiny things.

"Yes, you may," Hordak told her.

A length of hair the same thickness as the one that had hauled him upright earlier snaked out from her left ponytail to wrap firmly around his waist, just above the metal circlet he used to give some definition to his clothing. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized there was still wiggle room between Entrapta's hair and his lower abdominal ports, which had been his primary concern.

"Let us go this way," Hordak directed, turning to his right so Entrapta would be able to look at the wares while he took the outside to stand guard. He had to take smaller steps than usual, pacing himself so Entrapta wouldn't be hurried. Now he saw why Entrapta so often used her hair to move. It was a lot faster and more efficient for her.

As Hordak had hoped, his impressive figure cut a swath through the crush of people, his body and extended cape hovering protectively over the diminutive woman at his side.

It didn't take long for Entrapta to start relaxing. Being surrounded by Hordak and his cloak gave her the illusion of it just being the two of them, strolling along, looking at the different shops. The first several held nothing interesting for her, mostly jewelry and trinkets. She of course always kept an eye out in case someone mistook a piece of First Ones' tech for something wearable, but no such luck thus far.

More fascinating to Entrapta was seeing the true diversity of species present in the marketplace. Each shopkeeper was different, though they all tried to entice her to buy something. Filtering them out was easy; her robo-parents had forced her to learn how to do so when she was young by taking her to the shops on the weekends. She had actually thought she would be more out of practice, and was thankful she wasn't.

Of course, Hordak's presence helped tremendously. Entrapta wished she dared move her hair for even more comfort, but she knew he wasn't used to the feel of her hair around his waist. Yet feeling anchored to someone who truly cared about her, not just what she could do, made her feel safe even in the sea of stimuli.

Then they came to a stall that made Entrapta give an involuntary squeal. It was one of the tent-like structures, the fabric of the construct richly embroidered with bold colors in patterns that were more elaborate than any she had seen so far. She bounced slightly, making sure she didn't jounce Hordak as she took in all the wares that were made exclusively of _poa_ cloth.

Hordak couldn't help the smile that touched his lips. He had been expecting Entrapta's reaction to this particular stall, so he wasn't surprised.

A shadow in the back of the tent moved, shuffling forward with an unhurried gait, assisted by an elaborately carved wooden staff.

Entrapta's head snapped up, and she stared in disbelief as the shopkeeper came into the light. The woman was old and bent, her face weathered by sun and desert sands into deep-seamed lines that nonetheless spoke of frequent laughter. Two long braids of iron-grey hair brushed the floor, beads in all colors of the rainbow woven amongst the strands. The robe she wore was of _poa_ cloth as heavily embroidered as the tent with geometric patterns and colors that should have clashed, yet somehow worked together in harmony. But the thing that surprised Entrapta most were the deep crimson claws that popped out from the sleeves of the woman's robe, one grasping the wooden staff where a wide band of metal had been wrapped around it.

"Ah, Lord Hordak," the shopkeeper said, bowing her head slightly before turning her gaze to Entrapta, "and this must be the intended recipient of your latest efforts."

Hordak kept his face schooled into his "dictator" configuration, as Entrapta liked to call it, but his ears tilted down and radiated heat. "Mistress Foxglove, this is Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Entrapta, meet Mistress Foxglove, the finest weaver in the land."

"Bah!" Mistress Foxglove waved a claw at him, dismissing the epithet. "I'm just old, so I can fake the young ones into thinking I'm the best." Her eyes, so dark a blue they were nearly black, twinkled with humor.

Entrapta took a sideways glance at Hordak, who was making his "rolling his eyes" expression. She added it to her pile of observations that gave her a whole new perspective on her lab partner. It seemed when it came to elderly females, Hordak was more indulgent than usual. That meant he respected them, and suddenly his own rapid acceptance of her presence in his life made a lot more sense.

Mistress Foxglove did not miss a beat, taking in the interplay between Hordak and Entrapta with a sense of relief. "Normally I would be annoyed at you distracting him, Your Highness, but seeing the two of you together, it seems you might be a good influence on him," she said.

Entrapta fidgeted. "Please, call me Entrapta," she told the older woman. "I may be a Princess, but I am a scientist first and foremost!"

"Ah," Mistress Foxglove said with a knowing air, "things are making even more sense now."

Hordak cleared his throat. "Forgive the delay, Mistress Foxglove. You should have your items within the next few days."

"If I don't sell out by then," Mistress Foxglove replied, her tone teasing rather than truly peeved.

Entrapta looked from Hordak to Mistress Foxglove and back. "Wait, Hordak, do you make things for Mistress Foxglove's shop?" she asked, forcing back the tendril of uncomfortable emotion trying to seep into her mind.

"I have a machine capable of basic sewing skills, so I can make base garments faster than Mistress Foxglove," Hordak explained. "The true beauty of her wares is accomplished through her needlework."

"So do you get a share of the profit, or are you working for free?" Entrapta asked, frowning slightly in disapproval.

"Whew, there is no need to be so protective of him on my account, young one," Mistress Foxglove said with an amused grin. "All of the weavers who work with _poa_ on Etheria are grateful to him. The _poa_ grown in what is now called the Fright Zone is both softer and more resilient than that grown anywhere else, making our wares a high commodity throughout Etheria." Mistress Foxglove's expression softened. "Don't worry, I pay him in cloth and thread, whichever he pleases, whenever he wishes."

Entrapta could feel the heat of embarrassment radiating from her cheeks and creeping down her neck. She wanted to deny the accusation of being overprotective, but she couldn't in all good conscience. She'd noticed Hordak had a tendency to downplay his own merits when it came to things outside of the military, and she didn't like the thought of anyone taking advantage of him. "I'm glad. Sometimes Hordak doesn't value his own contributions enough."

"Entrapta!" Hordak hissed, but he was blithely ignored by both women.

"Oh, it seems you truly are as intelligent as you are beautiful," Mistress Foxglove said, her gaze focused on Entrapta. "No wonder he pushed all his other projects aside to make you gloves, a pair of which I'm assuming you are wearing now?"

"Yes," Entrapta replied, but kept her hands close to her body.

Mistress Foxglove nodded. "As I suspected. You have sensitivities like Lord Hordak."

Entrapta's head snapped up as she looked at Hordak. "So THAT'S how you knew about _poa_ cloth!"

Hordak glared at Mistress Foxglove, who met his gaze with equanimity, before turning his attention to Entrapta. "Parts of my skin are easily irritated." He saw Entrapta's eyes immediately shift towards her grip on his waist. He hated having to expose yet another part of himself, but if he didn't, she would withdraw. "The blue areas, such as my hands, thighs, and lower torso are not. They have normal levels of sensation. It is the patches of pale skin, which are covered by my armor and clothing, that suffer from hypersensitivity."

Entrapta looked down at her boots. "I had no idea."

"No one is supposed to," Hordak replied, sending another glare Mistress Foxglove's way, "but apparently certain meddling old biddies decided such things needed to be shared."

Mistress Foxglove snorted. "She's going to find out sooner or later anyway, judging by the way you two young ones are carrying on," she retorted.

Hordak was thankful he was facing the stall, as he immediately turned roughly the shade of a ripe tomato. A discreet glance down at Entrapta showed that Mistress Foxglove's implication had gone over her head, and Hordak hoped Mistress Foxglove would not push the issue any further.

"Fine, fine," Mistress Foxglove said with a wave of her claw. "Don't want to get my vendor's license revoked at my age." She approached the table, speaking more gently and kindly as she addressed Entrapta. "Do you see anything you like?"

That made Entrapta look up, taking in everything on display. "I love it all," she said honestly. "I never would have thought _poa_ cloth could be made into so many.. wait, is that a towel?!" Entrapta scurried to one end of the stall, yanking Hordak along with her.

Fortunately, Hordak had been prepared for her enthusiasm, and reacted in time so he would not fall flat on his face.

Entrapta looked back in horror. "Hordak! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," he said, giving his cape a snap to keep an outsider who had gotten too close away.

"No it's not," Entrapta said, letting her hair slide against his skin in an attempt to soothe.

Hordak grit his teeth before grinding out, "Entrapta, stop. Please."

Entrapta immediately froze, and tried to assess what was wrong. Hordak seemed pained, but not in pain. He was clenching his jaw, like he was fighting some vocal response. Her mind raced, trying to put what knowledge she already had of his various conditions together into a pattern that fit.

Then a flash of inspiration hit. An image Entrapta saw in her mind's eye of the first time Imp had been pestering her to distraction, and she threatened to tickle him if he didn't stop. He hadn't, so she had tried tickling his ribs, reducing the little being to hysterical giggles.

Hordak knew he was done for as Entrapta put the pieces together, amused knowledge crossing her face as it shone in her eyes, and he cursed in Imperial under his breath.

Entrapta simply gave him a knowing smile, then turned her attention back to the stack of cloth piled at the very end of the stall's display. A tendril of hair from her right ponytail rose up. "May I?" she asked, directing the question at Mistress Foxglove.

"Of course," Mistress Foxglove replied, obviously intrigued by Entrapta's prehensile hair.

Entrapta passed her hair overtop of the pile, and excitement coursed through her. "It looks like it might be rough, but it isn't at all! They must be so absorbent with all those little loops."

Mistress Foxglove beamed with pride. "They are. I stumbled on the design by botching a batch of regular cloth. I turned it into rags like I usually do, then noticed it picked up more water and other liquids than traditional plain towels. They've been causing quite a sensation in the marketplace, though I have exclusive rights to the patent when it comes to _poa_ cloth."

Just to verify, Entrapta picked the topmost towel up with her hair and brushed it over her shoulder. She was delighted when it felt just fine. Then she pressed a little harder, using the same force she would if drying herself off. Now it felt even better, massaging her skin rather than irritating it. She returned the towel before asking, "So how does trade work here? I haven't heard or seen any coins trading hands, and you said you pay Hordak in goods."

"Primarily barter or trade vouchers," Mistress Foxglove said. "There are coins, but they are rare on this level, and very few vendors take them outside gem and trinket traders."

Entrapta turned to Hordak, but he held up a hand to stop her as she opened her mouth.

"I have now been made aware I have been remiss in paying you any sort of wage," Hordak said.

Entrapta waved a hand, dismissing his statement. "I don't need one. You provide everything I need, and if there was something I wanted money for, I still have full access to the Dryl Treasury. I was just going to ask if you could think of anything I can offer in trade? No offense, Mistress Foxglove," Entrapta added, turning her attention to the weaver, "I've just noticed you don't use tech of any sort, and that's what I specialize in."

"If I thought you would accept it," Mistress Foxglove said, "I would say help yourself, since tempering our dear warlord must be a chore in and of itself."

Hordak raised an eyebrow ridge, but didn't say anything. How could he, when Mistress Foxglove had a very big point, and he wasn't talking about the scorpion tail that curled behind her.

"Thank you for understanding," Entrapta replied, giving the woman what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"Perhaps," Hordak said, an idea suddenly coming to him, "we can establish a temporary trade chain."

As he had known she would, Entrapta caught on quickly. "We make a trade, then Mistress Foxglove and I make one," she said, her enthusiasm building.

Hordak turned to Mistress Foxglove. "I believe that will satisfy all parties?" he asked.

"Indeed it will," Mistress Foxglove replied, then looked at Entrapta. "And this is why no one argues with him being overlord. Among other things."

Hordak cleared his throat. "I seem to recall your granddaughter's handfasting is in a few days, correct, Mistress Foxglove?"

Mistress Foxglove looked surprised. "Yes, it is. On Aimor."

"The most auspicious day of the week," Hordak mused before turning to Entrapta. "How many towels were you thinking of?"

Entrapta gave him a slightly sheepish look. "I'm tempted to take them all."

"So that would be six," Hordak said, returning his attention to Mistress Foxglove like the skilled diplomat he had been programmed to be. "Would you consider extra food vouchers a reasonable trade?"

Mistress Foxglove's eyes widened. "Of course!"

"Extra food vouchers?" Entrapta asked.

"Every civilian in the Fright Zone gets a certain amount of food vouchers every week. Families often scrimp and save to have a feast when a couple is handfasted, the Ceylonian equivalent of marriage," Hordak explained before using his free hand to unzip one of the hidden pockets in his cloak and thumb through the vouchers he kept on his person just in case. "Two vouchers per towel is a generous trade," he said, giving Entrapta twelve vouchers.

"Lord Hordak, that is more than generous!" Mistress Foxglove protested.

"You were limiting the guest list due to a lean food budget, correct?" Hordak countered.

Mistress Foxglove looked down, which was all the confirmation Hordak needed.

"Now you can invite everyone the couple wishes," Hordak said.

"And what am I trading you?" Entrapta asked, waving the vouchers at him.

Hordak drew himself up to his full height. "I shall accept an I.O.U. There are a handful of projects I have in mind that will require your expertise. I just have to wait and see which becomes the most pressing."

Entrapta gave him an assessing look, but it seemed she was satisfied with whatever she saw. Her entire face lit up as she turned to Mistress Foxglove and thrust the vouchers at her. "Six towels, please."

Mistress Foxglove returned Entrapta's smile, delicately closing her claw around the vouchers. "Thank you, young lady. I will have them wrapped up and delivered. Do you have your own quarters, or..?" Her eyes, sparkling with good humor, slid over to Hordak.

Entrapta simply looked confused. "Of course I do. I'm not a prisoner."

Hordak thinned his already narrow lips and gave Mistress Foxglove his best glare, which was ignored, of course.

"Excellent," Mistress Foxglove replied. "They should be in your quarters by the end of the day. Thank you for your business, and please come back any time!"

"Oh I'll definitely be back!" Entrapta said, then quickly turned to Hordak. "If that's okay?"

"Of course it is," Hordak responded without even having to think about it.

"Wonderful!" Entrapta cried, doing a little twirl in place. "It was nice to meet you, Mistress Foxglove!"

"You, too, Entrapta," Mistress Foxglove said, already taking the pile of towels from the display under her arm and shuffling towards the back of the tent.

As they continued walking, Entrapta bounced along, her nervousness apparently shoved aside in the wake of her purchase. "I know you said Scorpia wasn't the only one of her kind, but seeing an elder? That was amazing! And she has a granddaughter, which means she must have a son or daughter," Entrapta babbled, her mouth going nonstop as her eyes scanned over other sellers' wares. They seemed to have passed into the domestic goods section, as everything from pots and pans to brooms to blown glass vessels and knickknacks filled the stalls.

"Five sons and three daughters," Hordak supplied. "The granddaughter getting handfasted is her second daughter's oldest child."

"How do you remember all that?" Entrapta asked.

"I have.. an enhanced memory capacity for details," Hordak replied. "That includes the frivolous and non-vital, much to my own annoyance."

"Methinks my lab partner doth protest too much," Entrapta said, giving Hordak a warm smile. "It sounds like you and Mistress Foxglove have been working together for years, so it stands to reason you would learn a few things about her."

Hordak sighed. "She was a child when I came to Etheria," he admitted. "Which is why she is so flippant with me. She still remembers the awkward alien being I was, rather than the warlord the younger generations are familiar with. And although we have always had an amicable working relationship, she is _not_ my lab partner."

Entrapta's cheeks flushed with color at being caught out, and she squeezed Hordak the slightest bit with her hair.

Hordak, for his part, found his attention divided between keeping an eye on their surroundings and trying to process the fact that his theory about Entrapta's behavior was correct. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the concept of anyone feeling territorial in regards to his time or attention outside of seeking a higher rank in his military. He had worked hard over the years to ensure people specifically did _not_ seek him out except in dire circumstances. But Entrapta had simply refused to let his ruse work from the beginning. So it did make sense that they would become.. close to one another, a work partnership growing into friendship with the possibiity of becoming, for lack of a better term, a _relationship_ , but that very scenario left him feeling off-kilter. Not because of anything Entrapta was doing, but the emotions such thoughts invoked in him.

Once again Entrapta had reached into Hordak's heart of hearts, and unlocked a truth he had thought he buried deep enough to never be discovered by anyone on Etheria: his near pathological need to be needed. Useful. Trained into every clone to some degree, but some got a healthier dose of it than others. It was what kept a General in line, his life's goal to be of service to Horde Prime.

But there was no Horde Prime on Etheria, so Hordak had to shut that part of himself down after Tox's death. Until now, when ironically rejoining the Imperial Horde was more of a true possibility than it had been since he arrived.

Hordak's train of thought was broken by an enthusiastic squeal and a slight yank on the hair around his waist.

"Ooo.. I bet you want to stop here, Hordak!" Entrapta cried.

After one more sweep of the crowd, Hordak turned to the stall they stood before, and he swore he felt both of his hearts stop for a split second.

She really was far too astute for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This chapter is tied with the last one for the title of "longest chapter", but the minor cliffhanger was just too good to refuse!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone reading this for taking time out of your day to come along with me (and Hordak and Entrapta) on this journey!


	7. Food, Folks, and Fun

"Ah, Lord Hordak. I was not expecting you today," the merchant behind the counter of the stall made primarily from driftwood and nets decorated with dried seaweed, shells, and other remnants of marine life said with a slight bow.

Entrapta beamed. "I was right!" she exclaimed, clasping her gloved hands together. She would have been more surprised by the merchant's appearance if she hadn't seen one of Hordak's Force Captains of a similar species. The bookseller resembled a humanoid octopus, two arms and legs matching his more humanoid form, while four thinner, more pliable tendrils moved separately from their position on his back. His skin was a reddish-brown that reminded Entrapta of clay, while his eyes were a dark green that matched the dry seaweed used to decorate his stall. He wore a simple cream-colored homespun shirt that was unbuttoned most of the way down his muscular chest and loose trousers one shade darker than his skin tone. The only splash of color was a blue sash around his waist that shimmered with iridescent highlights.

"Yes, you were right," Hordak confirmed, before continuing, "Entrapta, meet Master Astaka. Bookseller by day, Treasure Hunter by night. Master Astaka, Princess Entrapta of Dryl."

"Good to meet you," the bookseller said, extending one of his humanoid hands.

Fortunately, Entrapta had seen that particular greeting before, so she used a tendril of her hair to grasp Master Astaka's hand briefly but firmly. "Nice to meet you, too!"

Master Astaka grinned, flashing razor-sharp, startlingly white teeth. "I take it you do not know about Lord Hordak and I's standing agreement, Princess?"

"Please, call me Entrapta," Entrapta replied, "and no, I didn't. It was just today I realized that not only is Hordak a gentleman and a brilliant scientist, he's a scholar! And most of these books look very old."

Hordak mentally cursed the touch of heat he could feel in the tips of his ears at Entrapta's proclamation.

Master Astaka let out a booming laugh that carried, even in the crowded marketplace. "Lord Hordak and I have an arrangement. He gets first dibs on any new arrivals."

"Oh," Entrapta said, her hair drooping slightly.

Hordak's heart dropped at the sight and, figuring since he was already making a slight fool of himself with the way he was blushing, he might as well go all the way. He gently placed his left hand open-palmed on the hair around his waist before pressing in slightly.

Entrapta's head snapped around, and she joined him in blushing.

"Thank you for thinking of me," Hordak said quietly.

Entrapta nodded, but then she lowered her gaze to her boots instead.

Desperate to cheer her up, Hordak addressed the bookseller. "You wouldn't happen to have anything about the First Ones', or even something written in their language?"

Master Astaka's eyes widened in surprise. "Indeed I do, Lord Hordak. Truth be told, I was planning on selling the lot to the Reccula family since there has been no interest here."

"No interest?!" Entrapta cried, bouncing up and down in place, her gloved hands in fists tucked under her chin. Her right ponytail separated out into two hair hands that made grabby motions. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

Master Astaka blinked and gave Hordak a cautious look. "It is quite a large collection," he said.

"Even better!" Entrapta caroled, her eyes shining as her hair continued to move.

"That is of no consequence," Hordak said firmly, meeting Master Astaka's eyes so there could be no misunderstanding. "Perhaps you could bring out a few samples for Entrapta to peruse?"

"Peruse?" Master Astaka echoed, surprise written all over his face.

"I can read First Ones' writing. Well, most of it. I do have a list of words I haven't been able to figure out yet, but that's due to a lack of context," Entrapta said.

Master Astaka looked at Entrapta with a healthy dose of respect. "All right. Let me grab a few," he said, then made his way to the very back of his stall.

"He has First Ones' texts, Hordak!" Entrapta enthused, suddenly remembering they were in public, so she spoke in a squeaky stage whisper.

"I thought if anyone had any in the Fright Zone, he would," Hordak replied. "Shall I add future finds to my regular 'tribute'?"

"Yes, please!" Entrapta said. "I'll be happy to repay you!"

"We will discuss that later," Hordak assured her, though in the back of his mind, he knew if she somehow forgot, he was not going to remind her.

Master Astaka reappeared with a small stack of five books in his hands. "I can't make heads or tails of them, but hopefully you will, Prin.. er.. Entrapta."

Entrapta took the books in her hair hands briefly before setting them down and picking up the one on top of the pile. All she had to do was read the title, and she let out a delighted cry. "Hordak! This is a First Ones' _dictionary_! An actual dictionary!" She reluctantly put the book aside, needing to know what the others held. Her hair hands grasped the next tome and brought it within sight range. "This one seems to be some sort of biology textbook," she said, before adding it on top of the dictionary. "Ooo.. these two go together," she continued, picking up the next two volumes. "The first word, TRANFOR, doesn't make any sense, but from what I can tell by the text inside, it seems to be a First Ones' programming language! This one is for beginners, and this one is intermediate. I wonder if there's an advanced!" She took the final book in her hair hands, the title confusing her, until she flipped through a few pages and suddenly her face heated. "This one.. um," she hesitated, "it's fiction, but I would still take it for its cultural and sociological value."

Master Astaka was obviously impressed, giving Entrapta an approving look before turning his gaze to Hordak with a slightly mercenary gleam in his eye.

Hordak had seen that coming a mile away, but he did not mind. Entrapta's obvious joy would be worth every cent. "How much were you planning to sell the collection for?" he asked the bookseller.

Master Astaka took a moment to weigh all his options. He knew Lord Hordak valued honesty, but precisely how that translated into coin, he had no idea. Most people he could greatly inflate the price, given not only an enthusiastic client, but he would wager quite heavily on the warlord being willing to pay any price, judging by, if you knew what to look for, the outright besotted looks Lord Hordak was giving the Princess.

In the end, Master Astaka decided that long-term goodwill would be the most valuable, especially if Dryl and the Fright Zone entered into a formal alliance the most traditional way.

"There are fifty-seven tomes, so I was going to start my asking price at fifty gold," Master Astaka said. "I have no idea what the current status of the Reccula family's funds is, and I just wanted them out of the way."

Hordak glanced over at Entrapta, who was engrossed in the very first book she had picked up. A dictionary, he thought he remembered. "Then would you find a bid of one-hundred and fourteen gold high enough?"

Master Astaka's eyes widened, and he stammered, but no words came out.

"The value being transferred directly to your business account, of course, to avoid the usual fees," Hordak added. "Consider it your reward for being honest with me."

Master Astaka bowed low. "Yes, Lord Hordak. Thank you!"

Hordak turned to Entrapta, and seeing that she was still engrossed, he tapped the pad of his finger against her hair.

"Hmm?" Entrapta hummed.

"Would you like the books delivered to your rooms, or your lab?" Hordak asked.

That got her full attention. "What?"

"The collection is yours," Hordak clarified. "Where would you like it?"

"You..?" Entrapta's head swiveled from Hordak to Master Astaka and back, her gaze finally settling on Hordak. "You bought them all?"

"Yes, I did," Hordak said, wishing he could cross both arms over his chest, but he refused to leave Entrapta without the protection of his cloak.

"You shouldn't have! I mean, thank you, but you shouldn't have!"

Hordak waved off her protest. "If you don't decide, I'll just have them sent to the library, instead," he mock-threatened.

Entrapta gave him a glare that had no heat in it. "Don't you dare! My lab would be fine. I'll have to build some shelves for them. I'd put them in my room, but I don't want any to get lost."

"I will have the books delivered there, then," Master Astaka said, giving them another bow. "And I will most certainly send word when I find more."

"Your diligence is appreciated," Hordak replied before turning to Entrapta. "Are you ready to continue, or would you rather have time with your treasures?"

Entrapta debated for a split second, then reluctantly put the book in her hands down. "I really want to see more," she said, then took a deep, cleansing breath. "The books can wait. I will enjoy them even more in my lab or the Sanctum where there aren't so many people." She gave Master Astaka a winning smile. "Thank you so much!"

"It is my pleasure, Princess Entrapta," the bookseller replied.

Hordak nodded his farewell, and the two of them continued on.

A few booths later, they came to a massive walkway connecting the area they were currently in and the next. Entrapta scanned the stalls on the other side. "Is there anything interesting over there?" Entrapta asked Hordak. "It looks like it's all clothing from here."

"Clothing and accessories such as pouches and shoes," Hordak said. "It is one of the largest sections, as the civilians here have gotten a taste for the luxury of pre-made clothing."

"And what's down that way?" Entrapta asked, gesturing to the walkway.

Hordak found himself curious as to what her level of interest would be in the next area. "Foodstuffs, both crops and prepared items," he told her.

Entrapta's eyes lit up. "Let's go this way!" she declared, facing the new area.

"Your wish is my command," Hordak replied, probably with more sincerity than the situation warranted, but he could not deny how seeing Entrapta's delight affected him.

The crowd thinned somewhat in the space between the two shopping areas, encouraging Entrapta to move a little faster than before, making Hordak pick up the pace he had grown accustomed to or risk being literally dragged along for the ride.

Only for her to come to a dead stop at the entrance of the food market. 

Hordak took his eyes off the crowd for a split second to make sure Entrapta was all right, and was gratified to see her eyes wide and sparkling with intrigue as she took in the sights before her.

Stalls and displays formed concentric rings around the circular area that was nearly double the size of the previous vendor area. A riot of color and an undertone of spices in the air greeted Entrapta in a gorgeous panorama of fruits, vegetables, and grains, many of which Entrapta couldn't identify.

"Where does all this come from?" Entrapta asked, her breath absolutely taken away.

"The agricultural sector on sublevel 4," Hordak replied. "Food is an important part of any culture, and the Fright Zone is the currently the only source of crops from kingdoms whose runestones went defunct. The only reason those crops survive is thanks the resourcefulness of the fugitives who had the sense to bring them, and their granting permission for said plants to be reproduced en masse from very few or even a single sample."

Entrapta looked up at him, intrigued. "Why would that be? Do the runestones not only have an effect on the planet, but plantlife as well? I mean, it would make sense, but I never thought of that."

"That appears to be the case," Hordak said. "Crops that were once able to grow suddenly wither and die, according to the refugees who come here."

Entrapta frowned. "You said earlier Dryl used to have a runestone, but I had no idea. I mean, I know I'm not a history buff, but you would think someone would have said _something_."

"Why don't we sit down for a minute, and I'll tell you what I know?" Hordak offered, gesturing to a nearby bench.

Entrapta's eyes widened. "Oh! I didn't think about the fact you've been holding your arm up this whole time! Okay, let's go sit," she said, leading the way. Once they were seated, Hordak lowered his right arm, and Entrapta winced as he rotated his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Hordak shook his head. "Nothing to apologize for," he said honestly, ignoring the concern on Entrapta's face when nitrogen bubbles escaped his strained muscles and joints in a series of cracks and pops. "I'm sure you have heard worse while we are working in the Sanctum."

Entrapta thought back. "Actually, I have. Still, I don't like the thought of you hurting yourself to protect me."

"This is the only level that is so crowded at this time of day," Hordak said, trying to reassure her. "There will be some people in the residential district, but not nearly the number here in the marketplace."

"Then after we explore this area, we should move on, okay?" Entrapta suggested.

"That was the plan," Hordak said. "This area, like the others, is just a sampling. Other marketplaces are connected to other elevators between the forge and the residential sector, and there is still plenty of room for expansion. The idea is so that civilians will not have to go far to access goods."

Entrapta beamed up at Hordak. "You really do think of everything!"

A dusting of pink appeared on Hordak's cheekbones. "I simply utilized the knowledge I have gained by visiting hundreds of planets, attempting to use the most effective and efficient methods of keeping a populace both healthy and content. There will always be outliers and random factors, but my aim is to cast the widest net."

"Speaking of utilizing your knowledge, what do you know about the supposed Dryl runestone?" Entrapta asked.

Hordak smiled down at her indulgently. "According to the records I found in the library, Dryl's runestone was the first created, and the first to, for lack of a better word, die. Its official name was the Adamant Amethyst, which is ironic, or perhaps it was wishful thinking, considering how fragile it apparently was," Hordak said. "It seems the beings you call First Ones originally used the Amethyst as a focal point to power the other runestones. The more runestones that were added, the greater the strain on the Amethyst. By all accounts, there were originally thirteen elemental runestones. Shortly after the very last one was installed, Brightmoon's Moonstone, the Amethyst simply shattered."

"Shattered?" Entrapta echoed.

Hordak snickered despite himself. "Exploded, actually. So your propensity for explosions may well be in your blood."

Entrapta blew a raspberry at Hordak before saying, "I know that's a joke hypothesis, but there may be an element of truth to it. I mean, look at my hair." She raised a tendril of it and waved. "It's the color of an amethyst, and Princess Hisui said I really resemble my ancestor. Maybe some of the Amethyst's magic was imbued into my family's hair somehow."

"I believe that to be a reasonable assumption," Hordak said with a nod. "In all seriousness, even before we met, I theorized that the reason Dryl is so technologically advanced is due to being the first to lose its runestone. Your people couldn't rely on magic like the other elemental princesses, so you had to come up with other means of survival."

"You're not wrong," Entrapta said, "though we made leaps and bounds forward once I was old enough to start inventing things. I don't know if you are aware of this, but there was a period of time where there was no ruler in Dryl. At least, according to both my robo-parents and the older members of the Council of Dryl."

"I am aware that the Council of Dryl is the actual governing body of Dryl," Hordak told her, "which is why I did not feel too guilty about stealing their Princess."

Entrapta nodded. "I'm just a figurehead, but that doesn't mean I don't care," she said, lowering her head and looking down at the ground, her booted feet waving to and fro but not far enough to actually kick any passers-by. "Anyway, according to my robo-parents, I was the last remaining embryo. If I had not survived, there would not be a monarchy."

Hordak blinked, trying to process the new information he had been given. "I had absolutely no idea," he said, trying to think back to any rumors he might have heard over thirty years ago. "Did your 'robo-parents', as you call them, tell you anything about your biological parents?"

Entrapta shook her head, still staring down at ground, but her hands gripped the edge of the bench enough for the knitted polymers of her gloves to squeak. "Just that they did not plan correctly, thinking their lives would be much longer. My robo-parents wouldn't tell me exactly how they died, only that it was "too soon". So they left behind only a quarter of the traditional amount of genetic material."

Suddenly, many things made sense to Hordak. "You've never reacted to the vitrines in the Sanctum because you know what they are," he stated rather than asked.

Entrapta nodded. "People already think I'm weird. Trying to explain not only what a vitrine _is_ , but that I didn't come from an organic womb? That would only make things worse." Entrapta chanced a sideways glance at Hordak, then she slowly turned, knowing she shouldn't be surprised, but she was. "You don't think it's weird," she said in awe.

"The use of something similar to what Etherians call a vitrine is common amongst my.. kind," Hordak said. "I actually learned Etheria had something similar thanks to what I believe was likely your robo-parents lending their assistance to Regent Tsavor and Princess Uva since you would have been too young."

"Wait, you mean Scorpia is a vitrine baby, too?" Entrapta asked as she looked up at, her eyes shining.

"She doesn't know that, though," Hordak replied. "At least, as far as I'm aware. Virtually everyone believes she was conceived via magic, due to the fact her parents were elemental rulers after Tox's death. Very few ever knew that no member of the ruling family had bonded with the Black Garnet in centuries."

"Which made it easy for the former king to give it to you, instead," Entrapta said.

"Precisely. If Force Captain Scorpia had ever shown even the slightest bit of interest in the Black Garnet, I would have handed it over as her birthright. However, she instead had high aptitude in physical and martial exercises, so I couldn't in all conscience try to force her down a route that would not suit her."

Hordak took in Entrapta's body language, and he realized his faux pas. Her hair was curling, her index fingers circling, then they suddenly all came to a stop. It was so hard for him to remember not to stare her directly in the eye when she came to her conclusion, naked hope shining in those pools of vibrant magenta.

"If vitrine babies are common where you come from, then are you..?"

Hordak let out a harsh breath, turning away and closing his eyes. He refused to lie, despite the can of horned triworms making such an admission could open. "Yes, you could say that." Hordak waited for the axe to fall, but instead, he felt Entrapta lace her gloved fingers with his own. He looked over at her, his primary heart beating painfully as it sucked the life out of his secondary one.

"Did you ever know your bio-parents?" Entrapta asked.

Thankfully, Hordak had a response ready. He had crafted it long ago, once he realized the sheer number of ways and means Etherians reproduced, and how theirs was a culture where family groups were important. "Technically, but the young are raised en masse. Your family is the.. group you were raised with. There are no parents, as Etherians see it."

"I can see the benefit of that," Entrapta said, raising her head and looking out across the myriad of crops laid before and around them. "My robo-parents did the best they could, but I never had any organic playmates, so the only time I ever interacted with beings made of flesh and blood were on market days. That's how I found out I was the last attempt. I'd asked my robo-parents for a sibling."

Hordak curled his fingers, squeezing Entrapta's very lightly. "I am.. grateful that the final attempt was successful. The world would be a much poorer place without you, Entrapta of Dryl."

Entrapta slid a little closer to Hordak before slipping her fingers out from between his, only to hook her cloth-covered forearm around his armored one before weaving her gloved digits with his again from her new angle, the back of his hand resting against one of the boxes of First Ones' shards in her coveralls.

Hordak stared down at Entrapta, her hair undulating in a way he had never seen before.

"Although I am sorry you got stuck here because you're separated from the rest of your kind," Entrapta said, her voice unnaturally soft, "I'm kinda glad, because otherwise, we would never have met. I also can't be too upset with the other princesses anymore, for the same reason. If I hadn't come to the Fright Zone with them and been left behind, we might have even been enemies."

Hordak snorted, his hearts now beating rhythmically in a way they only did around Entrapta, almost like a dance step. "Probably not enemies for long. Perhaps I should have tried to invade Dryl. I could have lured the Princess out with my army of bots I can just see her wanting to dismantle and study."

Entrapta chuckled. "You know, you're right. The reason I joined the Rebellion is because they helped me stop the robot insurrection at my castle caused by a corrupted piece of First Ones' tech. Well, one of two. I knew Bow from the Etherian Makers' Community, so I thought they were far more technologically advanced than they are." Her booted feet started swinging again, happily this time. "I mean, even Erlea and Sibylline have decent tech. Of course, that might be my fault since we've been allies for so long. That's where Dryl gets its produce. We don't have anything fresh. Nothing will grow," Entrapta mused.

"That seems to confirm the reports from other kingdoms. The only crops that seem to grow in defunct runestone lands are from Brightmoon seeds," Hordak said.

"Which explains why Brightmoon would keep fighting for territory," Entrapta said.

"So how does Dryl get foodstuffs?" Hordak asked, genuinely curious.

Entrapta brightened, looking back up at him. "Canneries!" she proclaimed. "We have five in Erlea and three in Sibylline, as well as a couple in the Kingdom of Snows that have been there since before I was born. Then we trade tech to other kingdoms for grains and legumes. Animal protein is covered by chickens. Lots and lots of chickens. Every family has at least one coop. Of course, the one in Crypto Castle is massive, so if someone needs meat or eggs, I can usually help out of my stores. Having robotic helpers means being able to wrangle more chickens!"

Hordak had seen the little beasts from afar, but if anyone could handle such agents of chaos, it would be Entrapta.

"Are you feeling any better now?" Entrapta asked. "You're pale to begin with, but I think you'd gone almost grey instead of white before we sat down."

Much as Hordak hated to admit it, "Yes, I am. I did not realize I was in need of rest."

"I've noticed that's a theme with you," Entrapta said, giving his hand a squeeze. "You've been running yourself ragged over paperwork the last few days, and now you're giving me a tour. I know you want to show me everything, so why don't we build in a break every.. sublevel, I think you called them?"

Hordak let out a sigh. "I bow to your wisdom," he said, despising his weakness.

"Good!" For the first time in her life, Entrapta found herself loathe to let something in her gloved hands go. She liked the light but consistent pressure of their forearms being pressed together, and the way Hordak's much bigger hand could crush hers, but he was thoughtful, careful, always mindful of her sensitivities. So it was with reluctance that she untangled their fingers, taking comfort in the fact that her hair was still wound about his waist. Taking in the lightened foot traffic, she probably didn't need to keep her anchor, but she wanted to. She would still feel safer continuing as they had, just in case. "Ready to go on?"

Hordak nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment, and stood, holding his cape out again to shield Entrapta. He hadn't missed her hesitation in letting him go, which he knew was a monumental milestone for her. She was putting in so much effort.. for him! He wanted to say he wasn't worth such a thing, but he could already hear her stinging rebuke. He refused to put a damper on her enjoyment any more than he already had, or encourage their first public spat.

Entrapta was fascinated despite herself at the sheer array of crops, her scientific mind wanting to poke and prod at anything she had not yet experienced. There was one thing she noticed, though, that she was certain Hordak had an answer for. "Why are there two displays for everything?" Entrapta asked, looking up at Hordak. "I mean, I think I understand, but why have double the amount?" She pointed to a sign that read "Presentation" on one half, and "Taste" on the other.

"Because often the tastiest crops are the ones that look the worst," Hordak replied, being quite familiar with this particular quirk amongst his civilians. "Presentation crops are for decoration due to their lack of blemishes and perfect symmetry. However, in order to achieve that, taste is often sacrificed. The kind of food you buy to make a soup or sauce is vastly different from what you would cut into the shape of a bird or flower."

"That makes sense," Entrapta said. Then Entrapta blinked as she caught something out of the corner of her eye. The crops were so plentiful and colorful, she had completely overlooked the outermost edge of the circle where the displays were brightly lit, but the backs of the booths were shrouded in shadow. "What's over there?" she asked.

Hordak's lips twitched into a rather proud smile. "Another perk of being a part of the Fright Zone. Care to take a look?"

"Of course, especially since you're making it sound so mysterious!" Entrapta replied, then promptly started almost dragging Hordak in the direction of the outermost ring. She practically bounced up to a display and tried to make sense of it. "What is this?"

"Butchered meat," Hordak replied. "You might find what's over to your right more familiar."

Entrapta looked where Hordak indicated, and he was right. "Wait, chicken meat in a package?" She scurried over to get a better look. "That's definitely chicken. I recognize the breast, there's some thighs, and an entire package of wings." Entrapta peered at a labeled tub above the rest of the chicken parts. "They even sell the feet here?" Entrapta asked. "I thought that was just a Dryl thing."

"You would be surprised," Hordak said. "The other meats are from domesticated animals as well. Cows, sheep, and pigs, primarily. Other vendors sell game meat like trideer."

"So where's the shop owner? Not that I want to buy anything, but it's weird they aren't in sight," Entrapta remarked.

"Likely in the back. See that camera over there? They can keep an eye on customers or would-be thieves while they prepare more product," Hordak explained. "The sections are fully separated so sensitive customers do not have to see the animals being butchered. However, it is tradition that if someone would rather witness their meat being carved directly, all they have to do is ask."

Entrapta sighed. "This is so complicated. I'm glad I never had to think about all this. Dryl has its own way of doing things that the people themselves developed. I've never really had to be involved."

"Dryl is actually the kingdom with the lowest number of immigrants here," Hordak said. "Another reason I never bothered trying to invade. The ones who are here are mostly people that didn't fit in with their families, or wanted a fresh start for whatever reason." A smile touched Hordak's lips again. "Speaking of which, I believe there is a vendor you might be quite interested in."

"Oh?" Entrapta asked, her face lighting up. "Lead on, then!"

It didn't take them long to wade back into the smaller rings of vendors, and they were nearly at an opening that seemed to lead to another area before Hordak brought them to a halt.

Entrapta turned to look, and her eyes widened in utter shock and delight. "No way. It isn't possible!" she exclaimed, then turned her gaze from the bounty of treasures before her to the owner of this particular stall. Before she could stop it, she wound her arms around herself, twisting to and fro in joy. "Mr. Dimitri!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tiny cliffhanger, but they're such good places to end a chapter! ;)


	8. Reminders of Home

The man addressed as Mr. Dimitri stopped, nearly dropping the box he was holding on his toes. Shock etched itself across his features, and he barely had the presence of mind to put the container in his hands on top of the existing pile. "Princess Entrapta?" he asked in disbelief.

Entrapta made tiny, high-pitched squeaking sounds as she made sure she wasn't jostling Hordak with her limited-space twirling. Mr. Dimitri's short, well-groomed hair had gone from raven black to salt with just a sprinkling of pepper in the intervening years, and he had grown a snowy handlebar moustache that curled at the ends. He wore copper-rimmed spectacles, a white button-down shirt, and a vest with vertical red and white stripes, just as he had when Entrapta was a little girl. He even still wore gold cufflinks with little canes on them that Entrapta knew had been passed down through his family for generations. "It's been so long! I was wondering where you went!"

"Forgive me, Princess," Mr. Dimitri said with a bow, then raised his head. "I readily admit, I have missed your weekly visits."

Hordak looked from Entrapta to the vendor, their familiarity a complete surprise to him. "I take it you know each other?" Hordak asked, his question directed towards Entrapta.

"Mr. Dimitri's Sweet Shop was my favorite place to stop on market day. My robo-parents always let me choose something if I was good," Entrapta replied.

Mr. Dimitri's eyes widened as he finally realized the princess was not alone. "L.. Lord Hordak!" He straightened, then bowed again, even lower this time.

"Anyone who has seen to Entrapta's comfort is worthy of respect," Hordak said, shocking the vendor by inclining his head. "Feel free to pretend I am not here."

"Oh phooey on that," Entrapta said, giving Hordak a raspberry before turning back to Mr. Dimitri. "Hordak's my lab partner, and he's showing me around."

Mr. Dimitri's mind was obviously scrambling for answers as he tried to find the proper words. No one was ever so informal with Lord Hordak! Yet the Lord of the Fright Zone seemed to pay it no mind. In fact, Mr. Dimitri realized Lord Hordak didn't use Princess Entrapta's title, either. That was when he finally noticed the length of lavender hair around the Lord's waist, a gesture he had seen her robotic caretakers rebuff.

In all honesty, Mr. Dimitri had felt sorry for the little Princess, seeing her so sad and scared as her caretakers forced her into the thick of weekend crowds. The only time he had seen her happy was when they allowed her to pick out a sweet, which delighted him. Now she was a woman fully-grown, and the joy in her eyes as well as her happy "twirling" as he remembered she called it, made him smile. He ventured a more proper look at Lord Hordak, and what he saw absolutely stunned him. The great warlord of Etheria was shielding the tiny princess with his cloak, his features schooled to seem cruel, but somehow there was a warmth, the corners of the Lord's mouth twitching as he watched Entrapta.

It warmed his heart, to be quite honest.

"Well, I am grateful and honored Lord Hordak thought of my stall," Mr. Dimitri finally settled on.

"You have tiny food! Of course he would think of it," Entrapta said, as sure as the artificial sun rose every day.

Hordak cursed himself as he felt his cheeks going pink yet again.

Entrapta finally calmed down enough to stop twirling and start looking at Mr. Dimitri's wares, the hair strands not around Hordak's waist wriggling like a dozen tentacles as they hovered over different displays. "I still can't believe how just drying out fruit makes it so much _smaller_!" Entrapta enthused. "And you still coat them with sugar! Oh! What's this?" Entrapta picked up a dried, wrinkly piece of orange-colored fruit covered in sugar and some sort of brown spice.

"That is a dried apricot with a spice called cinnamon mixed in with the sugar coating," Mr. Dimitri told her. "Go ahead and try it."

Entrapta popped it in her mouth, and a moment later, a delighted moan escaped her lips. She just barely remembered not to talk with her mouth full, having to wait until the confection was entirely gone before giving her final verdict. "That's amazing!" She turned to Hordak. "Want to try one?"

Hordak shook his head. "Thank you, but no."

Entrapta opened her mouth to argue, then she realized that she had never seen Hordak eat any solid food. Only his nutrient pouches, and those he normally "ate" via whatever he had hooked up to his abdomen. Her gaze softened. "I'm sorry," she said.

There were times Hordak almost wished his lab partner was not so intelligent. Entrapta tended to make far more connections with much less information than anyone else he had ever met. He knew they would have to talk about what she had clearly realized, but this wasn't the time or place. What made it palatable was the look in her eyes. There was no pity there, only sadness, and that made sense. Entrapta derived great pleasure from her tiny food, and she wanted him to be able to share in that experience.

"Don't be," Hordak finally said. "Seeing and hearing you savor what are obviously fine goods is more than satisfying enough for me."

Entrapta could feel the heat rising in her cheeks at Hordak's statement, but she refused to be embarrassed about it. Mr. Dimitri would understand. He always had. Entrapta turned back to the displays of sweets in an effort to redirect her focus. That was when something dawned on her. "Why did you close up shop, Mr. Dimitri?" she asked, "And what made you move to the Fright Zone?"

Mr. Dimitri had been expecting Entrapta's question since the moment he realized who she was. "Irreconcilable differences between me and my son," he said.

Entrapta's head shot up, and she used Hordak's trick of looking between Mr. Dimitri's eyes so he would hopefully know she was listening. "You have a son?"

Mr. Dimitri's smile was wistful. "Yes. He was fully grown when you were still a child. He never cared for my business, but as he got older, he turned more.. I suppose you could call it radical. He thought I was harming the children of Dryl by selling sweets."

Entrapta blinked. "That's nonsense! I know sweets in excess can be bad, but the occasional treat? Although, I do admit I eat far more than I probably should, but I'm a grown-up now! So I might be biased."

"Foolish," Hordak said, unable to resist adding to the conversation. "I have never encountered a single culture where sweet items were not on offer to some degree. The amount of sweetening varies, of course, but if it were harmful in small amounts, there would be very few organic beings left."

Mr. Dimitri shook his head, even though having the endorsement of the Lord of the Fright Zone made him feel marginally better. "My son wouldn't hear a word of reason. The fighting got so bad, it was affecting my health. I had a heart attack."

Entrapta's eyes widened. "Mr. Dimitri!"

"I'm fine now," Mr. Dimitri said, giving Entrapta his best reassuring smile, "but that was the catalyst. I'd heard rumors that the Horde would provide basic necessities for those willing to live in the Fright Zone. I took a gamble, and I am grateful I did. I have my business and an apartment I call home, as well as having met my current wife." Mr. Dimitri blushed slightly.

"You've remarried?" Entrapta asked. She remembered that, as a child, she had asked if Mr. Dimitri had a husband or wife, and he explained his wife had died long ago even then.

"Yes. Katarina and I are very happy together," Mr. Dimitri said.

Entrapta's eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together. "Congratulations, and I'm so glad!" Then she turned to Hordak. "Can we make another trade chain?"

Hordak smirked at her. "I thought that was a likely possibility. Although I believe in this case, setting up regular deliveries might be beneficial as well."

"Regular deliveries?!" Entrapta exclaimed, bouncing in place as best she could, since she refused to let go of Hordak with her hair and she needed both ponytails to do so properly.

Hordak turned his attention to Mr. Dimitri. "Are you equipped to handle such a service?" he asked.

"I do have order forms," Mr. Dimitri replied, immediately going over to a filing cabinet. "I haven't needed them yet here in the Fright Zone, but I had several regular customers back in Dryl. Ah-ha!" Mr. Dimitri grabbed several papers, closed the drawer, and came back over to the counter. "Here," he said, offering it halfway between Hordak and Entrapta.

Entrapta snatched them up with a length of hair, knowing she had to be fast or Hordak would take them and not let her pay for the orders. "Perfect!" she declared.

"Then for today," Hordak said, unzipping two separate pockets this time and drawing out one voucher from each, "the food voucher is for now, and consider the other a token of goodwill."

Entrapta took both vouchers and immediately handed them to Mr. Dimitri without looking. "I'll take however much you'll trade for the food voucher, please!" she said.

Mr. Dimitri stared at the second voucher in shock. In order to buy time to marshal his thoughts, he took out a liter-sized plastic bag with a groove-and-ridge closure and handed it to Entrapta. "Fill that right up to the top, Princess," he said. "Choose whatever you would like, in any combination."

Entrapta enthusiastically grabbed the bag. "Thank you, Mr. Dimitri!" she caroled before snaking tendrils of hair everywhere, picking up roughly half dried fruit, and half tiny sweets like fruit-flavored hard candies, jellies, and chocolate discs.

"Lord Hordak," Mr. Dimitri ventured when Entrapta was safely distracted, "this is more than a gesture of goodwill." He held up the second voucher.

"Perhaps," Hordak replied. "However, I find that 50% off merchant fees for the next two years adequate for the obvious care you showed Entrapta when it's becoming apparent she needed an ally."

"Her caretakers did their best," Mr. Dimitri said, "but they were robots. Highly-advanced, there's absolutely no doubt, but there are details of the human condition that cannot be programmed. And Princess Entrapta has always been a very special little girl."

Hordak heard the warmth and fondness in Mr. Dimitri's voice. The tone of a parent having taken a stray chick under their wing. "Who has grown into a very special woman," Hordak mused.

"I am simply glad there is at least one other person in this world who sees that now," Mr. Dimitri said.

"And I am relieved to know not every single person on this planet is an oblivious fool," Hordak replied.

They shared a look of complete understanding as Entrapta continued to happily fill her bag, her infamous recorder having finally made its debut in the marketplace as she commented about her findings in the bins and baskets of Mr. Dimitri's stall.

~*~*~*~

"That was so much fun!" Entrapta declared as she skipped around merrily, somehow keeping the tendril of hair around Hordak's waist still as she did so. 

They were headed toward an elevator at the very back of the marketplace, which they were finally leaving behind. Although Hordak kept half expecting the buttons of Entrapta's overalls to snap at any moment, given how loaded down they were, and she refused to let him carry any of it. Between the First Ones' shards down her pantlegs, her bag of sweets from Mr. Dimitri's in one side pocket, and another five bags of tiny treats secreted around her person, it had to be heavy. Yet Entrapta seemed to not notice the extra weight at all.

After they left Mr. Dimitri's stall, they had gone onto the next area where prepared foods were made and sold. Hordak had learned another tidbit about Entrapta's early life when he kept catching her stopping tendrils of hair from reaching out to take samples. Apparently her robo-parents forbade her from doing so. Although he could see their possible reasoning, from not wanting to ruin her dinner to not unnerving the shopkeepers unused to tentacles of hair reaching for their goods, he thought it unjust.

Hordak knew he was overindulgent with Imp, but he had never seen a reason not to be. That overindulgence was rapidly flowing over to Entrapta as well. He wanted her to be happy, comfortable, so he had struck up a deal with her. She was allowed to take samples, and when she found something she liked enough to buy, he would give her a voucher. And it only took one time of him directing a shopkeeper to prepare Entrapta's purchase in sample-size bites for Entrapta to catch on and make the request herself.

Of course, Entrapta insisted on him taking more I.O.U.s in return for the vouchers. Part of Hordak wished she would just let him spoil her, but he consoled himself with the thought that she didn't think twice when he gave her things that pertained to their work. He would just have to continue being, to use her word, "sneaky" about it.

Once they reached the elevator, Hordak finally let his right arm down as he pushed the proper button with his left index finger. Hordak and Entrapta stood in companionable silence, listening to the buzz of the crowd that was now more distant and the whirring of machinery that would take them to their next destination.

It wasn't until they were safely in the frosted-glass compartment that Entrapta realized she still had her hair wrapped around Hordak's waist. She flushed slightly. "Thank you for letting me do that, by the way," she said, carefully uncoiling her hold on him in an effort not to tickle him again.

Hordak looked down, and nodded, suddenly feeling quite cold where her hair had been. "You're welcome," he said. "I hope it wasn't too unpleasant for you?"

"Not at all!" Entrapta replied honestly. "It's surprising, but being able to hold onto you like that made me feel.. safe. Oh! I should also thank you for using your cloak. That really helped cut down on a lot of the stimuli."

Hordak shrugged. "I simply wanted you to be able to enjoy yourself despite the crowd," he told her. "It can be overwhelming for a person with standard sensory perception. I cannot imagine what it must be like for someone with multiple extraordinary senses."

"You mean overactive," Entrapta said, a touch of bitterness entering her voice. "I know it's part of who I am, but it's frustrating sometimes!"

"I understand," Hordak said gently, almost too quietly for her to hear.

Entrapta blinked as she looked over at her lab partner. "That's right. You do!" She looked down at the floor, gathering up courage for a moment before sidling up to him, within touching range if she wanted. "I may not know exactly what you're going through, but I want you to know I'm here for you. Just like you've been there for me."

Feeling Entrapta invade his personal space wasn't a threat to Hordak. It was a gentle wave of heat, her voice and aura a balm to his ragged soul. He found himself wanting to hold her, caress her, but he knew better. Entrapta had to lead this dance, and she was already going above and beyond where he thought she would ever go.

Hordak had vowed long ago never to lay an unwelcome hand on anyone, and he refused to breach that principle, especially when it involved someone he.. cared about. 

Just then, the elevator dinged, and it was time to show Entrapta the next level of Hordak's domain.

~*~*~*~

"You really like circles, don't you?" Entrapta asked as they emerged from a wide alley created by two long, rectangular buildings roughly three stories tall. The reason for her comment was the realization that once again, things seemed to be arranged in a circle or spiral. The elevator they had left was in the middle of a circle with four "spokes" leading towards rows of houses that fairly quickly curved. In front of them, in what must have been the heart of the area, a large centerpiece with greenery and trees drew the eye. Even the stone pavers beneath them reflected such a design aesthetic, each cardinal point rounded with a much more muted ninety-degree angle between. As if someone had put a small rectangle on top of a cross made of cylinders.

Hordak felt the tips of his ears tingle in acknowledgement. "The environment I grew up in was very rigid with angles everywhere as part of the aesthetic. Nothing was fully rounded. The closest anything came was a diamond shape or a half-sphere. After arriving on Etheria, I realized that I preferred the sinuous, almost sensual designs that are fairly common in Ceylonian artworks."

Entrapta waited until he was beside her, then gave him a knowing look. "That explains a lot."

Color spread to Hordak's cheeks, but he felt a little better seeing he wasn't the only one blushing. He coughed into his fist before speaking. "As you can probably tell, this is the residential district. Or at least, a very small portion. We are currently on the main level, where the vast majority of Horde civilians live."

Something suddenly occurred to Entrapta, and she looked up. Panels covered the domed ceiling like glass, all of them radiating a certain amount of light. "Is it always daylight here, or have you rigged the lighting to mimic night and day cycles?" she asked.

"They are currently programmed to have a regular day/night cycle," Hordak replied. "I have done my best to replicate the conditions of the true Etherian sky, including ensuring the wavelength of light in the daytime provides the same essential biological advantage as it does aboveground."

"Is it the same in the marketplace?" Entrapta asked. "I didn't even think to look up!"

"Yes," Hordak replied. "The only levels without this lighting are the Forge and the lake on sublevel 5."

Entrapta looked up at him. "Why not the Forge?"

Hordak smiled, once again grateful to have an intelligent companion to have a conversation with. "Because those working in the Forge are used to more ambient light, and the brightness of the lava as well as heated material going in and out of the machines provides ample illumination. Their "body clocks", for lack of a better term, stay on track because their homes are here, in the Residential District."

Entrapta squinted. "Is it my imagination, or is the ceiling lower here than in the marketplace?"

"It is not your imagination," Hordak said. "There is a 40 foot, 12 meter, clearance here rather than 15 meters."

Entrapta gave Hordak a shrewd look. "There's a reason for that, isn't there?"

Hordak's smile grew just a bit more. "Yes. There is actually a second terrace above this one, and there is a greater distance between this sublevel and the marketplace to accommodate that."

"So what's the difference?" Entrapta asked.

"Come along and I will show you," Hordak replied.

As they made their way toward the center of the hub, Entrapta took in the array of what she would guess were cinderblock buildings, based on their height and the texture left in the wake of a paintbrush. Some were brightly-colored, while others more muted. Each rectangular building had a wedge of greenery between it and the neighboring building. Many had small herb or flower gardens in that area, or had box gardens outside the windows.

"Is there any meaning to the colors?" Entrapta asked.

"Not necessarily," Hordak told her. "Although most cultural groups gravitate towards certain color choices. The building's residents as a whole choose the color, and it is re-evaluated every five years."

Everything was set up so differently from Dryl, and since Hordak was the ruler, even if only a figurehead, of this particular kingdom, Entrapta continued to be intrigued. "How many residents to a building?"

Hordak finally looked at her, a bit surprised. But he could tell she was asking out of interest, rather than courtesy. "It depends on the family size, but the average number of occupants is twenty. I have found it advantageous to group individuals based on preferences. Each apartment is completely soundproof to reduce friction between residents, but general temperament is also taken into consideration. Those who prefer to relax by reading or other solitary activities do not get along well with those who celebrate the end of a work-week with a party. In fact, it is apparently not uncommon for an entire building to hold a communal party, discussion group, or game night."

"Fascinating!" Entrapta remarked, drawing out the initial "a". "Is there anything you _don't_ study?"

Hordak began to wonder if his face and ears were going to be permanently dyed some shade of red after this tour. "Not really," he admitted. "Every field of study has some use, and to dismiss information out of hand is folly."

They passed a few people on their journey, but as Hordak had said earlier, foot traffic was substantially lighter, at least at that time of day. Entrapta found herself keenly interested in everything, including the mini-forest smack dab in the middle of the level. A brick pathway led them towards the heart of the wood, and Entrapta exhaled in wonder as she saw another elevator. This one was different, the large tube that acted as a chute made of some sort of thick, clear glass stacked on top of itself with rings of gold holding the construct together. What awaited them inside the tube wasn't just a plain platform, but the best phrase Entrapta could come up with was a gilded cage. It was ridiculously ornate, and she turned to Hordak with a raised eyebrow.

"The elevator shaft is my design. The car, however, is the fault of the residents on the upper level." Hordak gave a delicate shudder. "There is a difference between ostentation and just plain gaudiness."

Despite, or maybe because of how much ornamentation there was, the elevator felt less sturdy to Entrapta. She had the urge to grab onto Hordak again, but if the car did fail, she didn't want to end up bringing him down on top of her. Really, she didn't. Truly, she firmly insisted to herself.

Thus it was a relief when the elevator took them to the upper level without issue.

The moment they left the elevator, Entrapta's jaw dropped. "This is.. ridiculous!"

Hordak snorted. "Money does not buy taste," he said dryly.

The buildings on this level were a complete hodgepodge. Soaring stone edifices stood side-by-side with quaint wooden chalets. Constructs of metal and glass cozied up to elaborate, sprawling compounds of brick. Each property had a gate and a fence, once again, expensive-looking but occasionally hideously mismatched. It was the same with the gardens. All of them were pristine, but some of the flowerbeds seemed purposefully grown with the most clashing colors. It was enough to give Entrapta a slight headache.

"Can we go back down?" Entrapta asked, rubbing her forehead.

Hordak's eyes widened. "My apologies. I did not consider the effect this absurdity might have on your senses," he said.

Minutes later, they were back in the central garden of the lower level. Without missing a beat, Hordak ushered Entrapta to a bench that faced away from the gilded elevator. They both took a seat and Entrapta drew in several deep breaths.

Hordak clenched his hands into fists to keep them still, prevent them from reaching out. He wracked his brain, trying to think of something that might help, hating feeling so helpless. "Was the bottle of soda you had for lunch the only drink you brought with you?" he asked.

Entrapta nodded slightly.

Cursing under his breath, Hordak looked around. Then to his relief, he noticed someone had set up a refreshment stand nearby. Normally he would just go up and order, but he was loathe to leave Entrapta while she was in distress, no matter how mild.

Apparently Hordak hadn't completely lost his touch at commanding civilians, since it only took a minute for the vendor to notice he was being stared at. The man's blue eyes went wide and he pointed to himself. Hordak nodded.

The vendor took a quick look to the side to make sure there were no other customers before hurrying over to the bench. "L.. Lord Hordak!" he exclaimed with a bow.

"I require a fizzy drink," Hordak said, reaching into his well-concealed coinpurse and drawing out two copper coins, the smallest denomination and regularly used in the residential area. "Preferably sweet, for my companion."

The vendor's hand shook slightly as Hordak dropped the coins into it. "I have orange, grape, and winterberry," he said.

"Entrapta?" Hordak prompted, feeling slightly out of sorts that he wasn't more familiar with her flavor preferences.

"Hmm?" Entrapta replied, doing her best to filter out everything and reset her brain without breaking down.

Seeing her tremble, Hordak took a breath, then gently held his arm out like he had in the marketplace, this time circling his cloak as far around her as possible. "What are your preferred fizzy drink flavors?"

Entrapta's breathing began to even out as she found herself shrouded in comforting darkness, the only unmuted sound being Hordak's voice. "Orange, snozzberry, grape, and mintbubble. In that order."

Hordak turned his attention back to the vendor. "Orange."

The vendor nodded and nearly ran back to his stall, returning moments later with two bottles of the requested beverage. "Here you are, Lord Hordak," he said, presenting them almost like a sommelier.

Hordak nodded. "You have my thanks," he said, gratitude and dismissal rolled into one. To his relief, the vendor took the hint and returned to his post. Hordak knew this would only fuel any rumors about him and Entrapta, but her care and safety was his primary concern. He put one bottle down on the ground, holding it in place between his feet while he extended his claws to carefully flip off the cap of the remaining bottle before handing it to Entrapta. "Careful, it's full," he warned.

Entrapta took the bottle with a few strands of hair, her hands still trembling too badly to hold onto anything. She brought the drink to her lips and sipped, letting the tingly bubbles and tart sweetness distract her from the spiral her sensory overload had started.

"Do not forget to eat something," Hordak prompted.

Entrapta nodded and drew out her bag of sweets from Mr. Dimitri's shop with more tendrils of hair, unzipping the bag and rooting around until she found a couple of jellies. She brought one to her mouth and took a nibble. Strawberry. It tasted pretty good with the orange. She put the second jelly candy back, grabbing a chocolate disk instead. Entrapta focused on the familiar taste and texture of the strawberry jelly, letting it take her back to being in Mr. Dimitri's shop in Dryl. Once it was completely gone, she took a long drink of the fizzy drink, which she probably shouldn't have done. Her nose tingled and she felt the carbonation bypass her mouth in favor of her nostrils. The intense sensation distracted her, giving her laser-sharp focus. Rather like she imagined old-fashioned ammonia crystals would.

Hordak kept an eye on her, branding everything she did into his memory.

Finally, Entrapta popped the chocolate disk into her mouth. It started to slowly melt, coating her tongue in rich, decadent sweetness that brought out a slightly bitter note in the soda. She could feel her body slowly stop trembling as everything that wasn't in her mouth was filtered out. That was when she finally realized she was shrouded in darkness, the sounds of the outside world muffled. She directed her attention to the sliver of light off to her left.

The pounding of Entrapta's heart shifted from anxiety to a sort of giddiness. Hordak had put his cape around her again, his body filling in the majority of the gap where the outside world could possibly intrude. He had gotten her something to drink, and prompted her to snack. He was taking care of her yet again. Then she flushed in embarrassment. She had been so close to a meltdown, probably would have done so...

If Hordak had not been there.

"Thank you," Entrapta murmured.

"You're welcome," Hordak said, his voice rumbling in his chest. "Should we continue, or have you exceeded your limit for the day?"

Entrapta shook her head quickly, encouraging her vocal chords to work and clarify what she meant. "I'll be okay. I think I just needed a little full "shutdown" time, if that makes any sense," she said.

"You're rebooting your system," Hordak said, letting humor lace his tone.

Entrapta ventured a look up at Hordak's face, processing how perfectly he had described it. "Exactly."

"Take as much time as you need for everything to come back online," Hordak told her, running with the analogy. "I know how finicky complex systems can be."

"And yet you still get impatient," Entrapta ventured.

Hordak snorted, acknowledging her point. "I can be patient when it's important. Like now."

Entrapta fidgeted with her soda bottle, which was now half empty. She knew what she needed to complete the "reset" as Hordak had called it, but she found herself wishing she could bring herself to ask for a new variation. Sighing in defeat, she carefully wrapped her hair around herself, applying perfectly even pressure. She did, however, allow herself to scoot a little closer to Hordak. Not near enough for them to actually touch, but his reassuring presence did help.

Of course, Hordak noticed. "Is there anything else that will help?" he asked.

Entrapta reluctantly shook her head. "Not yet. I don't have a blanket, so my hair will do fine."

Then it dawned on Hordak. "Like you did to me earlier."

"Exactly," Entrapta replied. "I learned as a little girl this helps. I just wish your armor didn't look so pinchy."

Hordak frowned slightly, working through her words. "Pinchy?"

"The joins between the metal," Entrapta clarified. "They pinch."

That was when what she was trying to say hit Hordak like a body blow. Entrapta had wrapped her hair around herself like a cocoon. He remembered how it felt earlier, and realized a similar end would be achieved by being held, especially by someone bigger and taller. He knew his armor was clunky and nearing the end of its natural life span. He'd started having problems with it of late, minor glitches, but not frequently enough to try and re-engineer it yet. It still gave him strength and held him together, so that was enough.

However, this was another variable to add when considering a redesign. Because he found himself _wanting_ to hold her, wondering what it would be like to feel her softness against his harsh angles. She was already close enough that the scent of her hair filled his awareness, and she fit just perfectly beneath the circle of his arm. As if she were made to be there.

His musing was rudely interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

"Is everything all right, Lord Hordak?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to pretend to be a responsible adult this morning, so editing took me a little longer today. And it tickled me to see the comments about Mr. Dimitri before he'd even had a chance to be properly introduced. I've ended up loving so many of these side characters, honestly!
> 
> As always, thank you all for reading, and an extra special thank you to those commenting and leaving kudos! I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart!


	9. Discourse and Distraction

Hordak's public mask slammed down over his face. It wasn't anything personal; he knew who was addressing him. Yet he also knew he had been woolgathering, and he was well aware of how undignified he looked when his facial features were at rest. He drew himself up to face the well-meaning intruder, while still keeping Entrapta hidden from view in case she was not up to dealing with other beings yet. "Everything is fine, Mayor Silenus," Hordak replied.

The being addressed as Mayor Silenus took a sideways glance at the circle of Hordak's cloak with a pair of purple-clad legs and booted feet visible beneath it.

Entrapta was feeling much better now, and her curiosity at the sound of a new person's voice rather than inspiring a sensation of being overwhelmed helped her confirm the diagnosis. She unwound a tendril of hair from her cocoon, carefully placing it between the joins on Hordak's arm that was holding the cloak all the way around her before turning to him. "It's okay, Hordak. I'm okay."

Hordak gave her a measuring look and, satisfied with what he saw, he withdrew the cape just far enough that Entrapta and the mayor could see each other.

Entrapta blinked, then remembered Hordak had said there were even former residents of Brightmoon amongst the Horde's civilian population. The timbre of his voice indicated he was male, though his actual appearance was quite androgynous, even for a Faunus. His build was slight and willowy, though the drape of his cream-colored robes did its best to add bulk through layering. His skin was a couple of shades darker than Entrapta's, his hair the color of an evergreen, and his eyes grey like a cloudy sky. An impressive pair of antlers rose from the sides of his head, a veritable forest of branches indicating he was quite old indeed despite his youthful appearance. A violet-colored marking in the shape of an oval on his forehead proclaimed him as a shaman amongst his people. "Hi," Entrapta said, drawing out the final vowel and waving with the same tendril of hair that she had touched Hordak's arm with.

"Mayor Silenus, this is Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Entrapta, this is Silenus, the current mayor of the residential block," Hordak said, making yet another formal introduction.

"A Princess?" Mayor Silenus's tone turned icy like an Arctic wind.

"No, no, I'm not an elemental one. Or at least, according to what I've learned today, not anymore," Entrapta hastened to clarify. Then she noticed Hordak looking at her in surprise, and she rolled her eyes. "I've studied a lot about the magic of Etheria to try and understand how it can interface with technology, so I am fully versed in the struggle between the original magic users on Etheria and the elemental princesses."

Mayor Silenus blinked, then swept his gaze over Entrapta, coming to rest on the waving tendril still separated from its kin since staring at the rest surrounding the Princess's body would be rude. He also noted the protective body language Lord Hordak was screaming, and he had no interest in being disemboweled. "What about your hair, then?" he asked.

"That I don't know," Entrapta replied. "I was born with it, so I don't know if it's purely genetic, or if there was a magical component sometime in the past." She let another tendril loose so she could make a shrugging gesture with both free lengths.

"Forgive my rudeness," the mayor said, giving her a bow. "My encounters with Princesses have not been pleasant."

"Or Queens, I bet," Entrapta remarked with a shrewd expression.

Mayor Silenus straightened and gave her an appraising look. "You are correct. It was Queen Angella who drove me from my home, not the Horde. Apparently she doesn't appreciate someone else doing great works of nature magic in her domain."

"I'm sorry," Entrapta said, giving him a look of genuine sympathy.

Which utterly shocked the mayor. "There is no need for you to apologize, Princess Entrapta," he said. "I simply consider it to be the will of Etheria that I came here to help bring peace and stability to the non-combatant residents of the Fright Zone."

"He also acts as a healer when requested," Hordak added. "Advanced medical technologies are open to all civilians, but some prefer what they call the 'old ways'. I see no reason to deny them such, if that is what they believe in."

"Which is why the Fright Zone has the greatest concentration of shaman and other spiritual healers on Etheria," Mayor Silenus said. "Something the elemental Princesses would consider a massive threat, despite the fact we only wish to live in peace."

"Don't worry," Entrapta said. "The secret of this entire place is safe with me." Her eyes lit up. "So many technological advancements, and Hordak hasn't even shown me the agricultural sector yet. It must be BIG to feed all the civilians!"

That made Mayor Silenus smile. "It is massive," he told her, "and impressive." Her lack of using Lord Hordak's title did not escape his notice. "If your interest is in technology, you will find no lack of wonders there. Although, you said something earlier about trying to connect technology and magic?"

Hordak bit the inside of his cheek, knowing full well what the mayor was about to unleash, and he jokingly wondered to himself how many hours they would spend on the bench.

Entrapta's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Current tech doesn't interface well with magic, and that's a real shame given that Etheria has so much magical power! The First Ones were able to utilize both at once, and that was a thousand years ago! I want, no, need to find out how that was accomplished. I've spent my whole life researching and experimenting to that end. Right now, I use First Ones' tech since the examples are there to use, and I can study how they work. I'm hoping that someday I'll discover how to meld magic with tech in the present day. There are so many possibilities!"

"I would have thought the two diametrically opposed," Mayor Silenus said.

"Of course not," Entrapta told him. "Both magic and tech are conducted by vessels made of planetary elements, whether they be items or people. They also both require fuel, a power source of some kind. Tech only utilizes outside power, while magic can do either. If tech can someday do both as well, that would open up so many avenues for those without access to magic!" 

Entrapta might have been socially awkward, but even she could tell the mayor was a proponent of peace and she knew those of his species were heavily connected to Etheria's natural resources, especially since he was a shaman. So enthusing about things like weapons or large-scale manufacturing would probably lead to an argument, which Entrapta didn't have the spare energy for.

Mayor Silenus frowned slightly. "I have noticed over the years that Etheria's magic seems to somehow be waning. When I was young, spiritual energies were everywhere, but as the various runestones have begun to die or be destroyed, it seems they are taking the magic within with them."

"Oh no. When a runestone, for lack of a better term, dies, the other runestones get a power boost. I was able to confirm that theory beyond a doubt thanks to running an experiment on the Black Garnet," Entrapta said.

"You were able to manipulate a runestone not your own?" Mayor Silenus asked.

"And I used tech to do it!" Entrapta enthused, then her expression shifted to something more subdued. "I don't regret the experiment, but I am glad I got all the data I needed on the first run. Despite what people think, even I know things like nuclear winters aren't good."

Mayor Silenus tilted his head slightly in curiosity. "What is a 'nuclear winter'?"

"Oops, sorry, it's a First Ones' term," Entrapta said. "Apparently the First Ones had access to weapons even more powerful than those available on Etheria that, if deployed en masse, could cause massive firestorms, followed by a period of extreme cold all over the planet. Judging by the snow and lightning the Black Garnet caused by merely draining the other runestones, it seems to be a likely outcome if suddenly one runestone tried to take on the power of all the rest at once."

The mayor looked completely nonplussed. "And you feel no remorse for what technology might be doing to Etheria?"

Entrapta thought about it for a moment. "I wouldn't say that, but I fully believe in the end justifying the means. Sacrificing the few for the greater good. And for me, the greater good is always science," she said. "Another way to put it I guess is you need to break a few eggs to make a cake."

"It seems our philosophies are at radically different ends of the scale," Mayor Silenus said, surprising even himself by not getting angry. He would never agree with this strange Princess, but he could follow her line of thinking.

"That's what I was expecting. I'm a scientist, you're a shaman, and the planet needs both of us. The world would be boring if we were all the same!" Entrapta said, giving the mayor a warm smile.

Mayor Silenus turned his attention to Hordak. "I can see why she intrigues you, Lord Hordak," he said.

"As you well know, Mayor Silenus, finding an intelligent partner who is also an interesting conversationalist is a rarity.. in this day and age," Hordak replied, reminding himself at the last minute that Mayor Silenus was not aware of his quite literal alien status.

Mayor Silenus did not miss Hordak's phrasing in reference to a "partner". "Indeed. Well, I shan't keep you two any longer. I wish you good day," he said with a bow.

Hordak nodded his head, and Entrapta waved with her hair again. "'Bye!" Entrapta turned to Hordak once the mayor was out of earshot. "He seems nice enough."

"He is well-liked by the community," Hordak replied. "He was instated with a nearly unanimous vote."

Entrapta brightened. "You hold elections like Dryl does for the Council?"

"The citizens do," Hordak clarified. "I have learned the less I interfere in civilian matters, the smoother things run. It makes logical sense. I have never truly _been_ a civilian. When it comes to socialization and even punishment for crimes, it is left largely up to the community the perpetrator belongs to. Different punishments work best on each cultural group. There are a few universals, however. Crimes such as rape and murder, once the perpetrator is found guilty, they are imprisoned in the military cell block. If they serve their time, then re-offend and are convicted, they are shipped to Beast Island."

"How did you come up with that two-strike policy?" Entrapta asked, interested despite herself.

"From situations I encountered on other planets," Hordak replied. "So far, it seems to work quite well. There have been only a handful of repeat offenders over the decades. I think it also helps that Beast Island has quite a gruesome reputation. Death there is apparently neither fast nor painless." Hordak gave Entrapta a feral grin.

Entrapta suddenly realized she was still cocooned in her most of her hair when she tried to make hair hands and clap them. She unwound her ponytails from around her body, then was able to complete the gesture, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You mentioned sending drones there earlier. Is there a possibility of maybe installing cameras on the drones? The more I hear about Beast Island, the more curious I get! I'd ask to go there myself, but if it's that deadly, even I have some sense of self-preservation. Besides, maybe it's not quite as deadly as rumored?"

Hordak slowly shook his head, marveling not for the first time at Entrapta's resilience and fearlessness. Then he quickly followed up so she wouldn't mistake his meaning, "I will consider it, mostly so you can satisfy your curiosity without my lab partner being put at more risk than usual."

This time Entrapta bounced in place from her seat on the bench, forcing Hordak to finally withdraw his arm so she wouldn't bump into it before dropping his cape. "Thanks!" Entrapta beamed.

Hordak knew he was in very big trouble. He would do practically anything to bring such joy to her face, make her bounce and twirl with excitement. Once Entrapta had settled down a little, he grabbed the remaining fizzy drink still between his feet and offered it to her. "Are you ready to continue on to the agricultural sector?" he asked.

Entrapta grasped the bottle with a tendril of her hair and stashed it away who-knew-where. "Ready when you are, partner!"

~*~*~*~

Hordak would have been concerned at Entrapta's relative silence, if not for the way he could see her furiously flapping her hands from side-to-side, fingers splayed. He had learned that the faster she made that particular gesture, the more excited she was. He allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk, knowing this sublevel would be the jewel of his kingdom in Entrapta's eyes.

They had made their way from the bench in the park of the residential distract back to the elevator they had originally used to descend from the marketplace. The ride had been uneventful, Entrapta focusing on finishing her drink. Hordak had been forced to bite back a smile, thinking about how excited she would be once the elevator doors opened again. If Entrapta caught his expression, it would ruin the surprise.

It was gratifying to see he had been right. Hordak finally allowed himself a self-satisfied smile as Entrapta let out a cry of joy and started twirling and bouncing at the same time, something he had never seen before. Her hair coiled up beneath her like a spring, launching her up and down as she spun around. He patiently waited, watching the veritable sea of drones filling the air zip around on their pre-programmed routes as far as the eye could see, harvesting mature plants, re-planting any newly-vacated spots, and delivering the goods for sorting and packaging, if necessary.

Entrapta finally wound down, quite literally, her hair separating out into legs so she could scurry over to Hordak before lowering herself to the ground. "What in the world is this place? How are those plants growing without soil? And all those drones.. what are their functions? Can they multitask? Where are they taking the produce? TELL ME EVERYTHING!" Each question made her hair frizz more until by the end, it looked like she had stuck her finger in an electrical socket.

"Normally I would charge a hefty price for such information. However, since you are my invaluable lab partner..."

Entrapta's hair frizzed even more as she put on what Hordak privately referred to as her "pouty" face.

"The plastic trays where the plants are resting float on a bed of nutrient-rich liquid," Hordak said, making his way over to the closest array. "Watch this plant carefully as the drone harvests it," he continued, gesturing toward something green, leafy, and obviously mature.

Entrapta watched as a drone sped over to pluck the produce from its spot, her eyes widening. "The roots! They're just dangling!"

"Precisely," Hordak said. "The plants' roots thrive in the nutrient solution, taking only what they need, rather than wasting resources trying to moisten and fertilize soil. Also, as you can see, each crop can be planted very close to each other for an economy of space. One of my side projects is developing smaller drones, so when we need to increase production, we can actually utilize tiers of plants, quadruple or even quintupling our output."

"Smaller drones?" Entrapta echoed, then she started waving her hands again. "Is that one of the projects you mentioned accepting an I.O.U. for?!"

Hordak snorted in amusement, his smile never wavering. "Indeed, but I could not give you the details until you saw why such alterations might be needed."

"But what would we need so much food for?" Entrapta asked, her hands stopping their movements but her hair curling in calculation.

Hordak simply gave her a look.

Entrapta stopped, frozen, as it hit her. "It wouldn't be for _us_ , would it? You're talking on a universal scale, aren't you?"

"Indeed," Hordak intoned, his tone warm and his gaze approving. "All living beings need to have sustenance. Not only that, some Etheria-specific plants could become quite a delicacy with the right marketing."

As they spoke, another drone came by and dropped a germinated seed into the recently vacated spot. The bodies of these particular drones were white and rounded like the battle droids, held aloft by wings that fluttered so rapidly, they were almost a blur. Tiny landing skids on the underside indicated they could land, but it was likely they rarely did so.

"You said this was the largest sector," Entrapta said, "and we're only seeing a tiny slice of it, even though all I can see are plants, right?"

"You are correct," Hordak replied. "The full region extends from one end of the desert surrounding the Crag Shell to the other in all directions. Which is why to reach the other areas, we will have to take a skiff."

Entrapta squealed. "This is incredible!"

Suddenly, there was a clunking, beeping noise and one drone wobbled before plummeting towards the ground. It only took Entrapta a second to rise up on her hair and run over, barely catching the drone before dropping and rolling, unable to stop her own momentum until she hit something solid that knocked the wind out of her.

"Entrapta!" Hordak roared as the entire system above Entrapta shuddered and creaked with the impact of her body. A split-second later he was there, holding up the entire end of the nutrient pool as one metal leg of the frame supporting everything bent from the impact.

"What in the world.. Lord Hordak!" a low-pitched but still feminine voice cried out.

Entrapta was still curled up in a ball from bracing herself for impact, eyes screwed shut as she cradled the drone to her chest.

Hordak knew he was glaring, but he didn't dare speak, knowing the newcomer would come to her own conclusions.

"Oh my, okay. Let's see.. got it!" The new arrival grabbed a solid wooden barrel from who knew where and ran over, sliding the object under the end of the nutrient tray.

Hordak very carefully let the barrel take the weight he had been holding. Before he was done lowering it, a second barrel joined the first. That seemed to hold things steady. He waited a few more seconds to make absolutely sure before turning to the female beside him. "Quick thinking, as always, Researcher Pamela," he said.

The woman referred to as Researcher Pamela flushed, then nodded. "What happened, Lord Hordak?" she asked.

"It seems that in her zeal to protect a wonder of technology, my lab partner decided to sacrifice herself." Hordak knew he sounded angry, but he couldn't help it. He knew Entrapta was impulsive and did not regard her physical safety as a priority, but it was to him. He took as deep a breath as he could before kneeling down to peer at Entrapta, still curled up beneath the hydroponic array. "It's safe now, Entrapta," he said.

Entrapta slowly opened her eyes and blinked, unable to believe nothing had fallen. "Hordak?" Her voice was small, shaken.

"The array has been shored up. Can you get out of there by yourself, or would you prefer some assistance?" Hordak asked.

"I.. I think I can make it out myself," Entrapta said, carefully curling up even tighter to try and ensure only her clothing touched the ground as she rolled toward the light. Once she was safely out and away from the display, she slowly sat up, still clutching the little drone to her chest.

"Are you all right, miss?" a voice Entrapta recognized asked.

Entrapta looked up and her eyes widened in recognition. "Pamela!"

The being addressed as Pamela stared, her own eyes growing nearly as round as the spectacles perched on her snub, lightly freckled nose. "Entrapta?"

Entrapta sprung to her feet, ignoring the slight bruising she felt on her lower back and left hip. "It's been so long! No one knew where you went!" Entrapta hugged the drone close, twisting her torso at the sight before her.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just had to get away. My parents wouldn't let me abdicate," Pamela said, brushing dark honey-blonde curls that had escaped the fluffy ponytail at the nape of her neck back behind her ears. Peachy skin flushed with embarrassment as warm brown eyes directed their gaze to the floor. She wore a sensible tan button-down shirt, the collar visible above her dark green lab coat, with a pair of rich brown trousers and sturdy boots in a matching color on her feet.

Entrapta stopped her confined-space twirling and unwrapped one arm from her precious burden to wave at Hordak. "Hordak! I've found another piece of your Princess collection!"

"So you have," Hordak said, finally convinced the hydroponic array was truly secure before stepping away to approach the two women. It had not occurred to him that the two might know each other when Entrapta mentioned being allies with Erlea before. Now it made sense.

"Not anymore," Pamela said emphatically. "I've been gone for nine years, so Sweet Bee is officially Princess of Erlea now."

"I still think you got a bum rap," Entrapta said in her usual straightforward way. "It's not right that you had to be married before your eighteenth birthday because you were the oldest girl, but Sweet Bee doesn't have to because she's younger."

Pamela gave Entrapta a half-smile. "It made sense in wartime, but Erlea wasn't in conflict with anyone when I turned seventeen," she said. "I mean, if it was for peace, I would have been able to convince myself..."

"You shouldn't have had to," Entrapta cut her off. "You wanted to marry for love; you should have had that opportunity!"

Pamela blushed. "Hopefully I will have, someday, here in the Fright Zone," she replied.

"So did you come up with all this?" Entrapta asked, gesturing with both hair and her free hand.

Pamela shook her head rapidly. "No, not at all. Lord Hordak is the mastermind behind all of it," she said. "He has been the one teaching me these techniques. How to build the machines and apparatus, how to grow the plants, _everything_!"

Entrapta didn't like the feeling of a baby worm wriggling in her stomach at Pamela's words.

"Oh, did something happen to one of the drones?" Pamela asked.

Entrapta looked down at the little construct she was still holding. "He just kinda fizzled out and crashed. I know it's silly, but..."

"It's not silly for you," Pamela beamed. "I remember, robots are people to you. So I figure it would be like if I saw a baby Adreenid wobble and start falling out of the sky."

Entrapta brightened, warmed by her old friend's understanding.

"Can I take a look at him?" Pamela asked.

Slightly loathe to do so, Entrapta carefully handed over her unofficial charge.

Pamela pressed an area on the top of the drone, and even the faint little buzz it had been emitting stopped. "Don't worry," Pamela said, "I just put him to sleep so he won't feel a thing." She opened a panel at the back, and relief washed over her face. "Silly thing. He didn't charge properly, so his battery is almost dead. I can fix him up, good as new."

"While you are doing that, Researcher Pamela, also kindly put in a maintenance request to fix the array. I don't want it falling and potentially causing more injuries," Hordak said, cutting into their conversation.

Color flooded Pamela's cheeks again. "Of course, Lord Hordak!" she said, then turned back to Entrapta. "I hope we can see each other again soon?"

"I hope so, too," Entrapta said, and she meant it.

There was a thread of tension in the air as Pamela took the little drone to a wooden shack off to the side that Entrapta hadn't noticed before. Once the door closed, Entrapta turned to Hordak. She didn't like the way she was feeling, so she had to know. "Are you two.. friends?"

Hordak knew exactly how loaded the question was, especially since Entrapta wasn't usually one to fumble for words. Which meant she was trying to be diplomatic. It was obvious Entrapta had picked up on Pamela's demeanor, probably since the two women had obviously been friends to some degree. What Hordak was trying to wrap his mind around was this brought an entirely new facet of their partnership to light. Feeling possessive of his time, attention, or skills was one thing, but someone else's crush making Entrapta insecure? Hordak could not fight the flaring of hope deep down in his soul.

"I am her mentor, she is my student," Hordak finally said. "I am.. aware of her interest, but the feeling is not mutual. I have informed her of such, but even I know that emotions are not always rational." Hordak looked down to see Entrapta not looking at him, but at the maintenance shack, her feet on the ground and her hair forming hands to twiddle her thumbs. "I have seen reactions like this before. Her feelings stem from hero worship, and even if I were interested, that is not a dynamic I would seek."

"So what dynamic would you seek?" Entrapta asked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet.

Well, if Entrapta wasn't going to look at him, it was time for drastic measures. Hordak carefully positioned himself so that even if he leaned forward, he would not actually touch her. He bowed down, his head several inches away from her own, but close enough she would hear if he whispered. "My kind are not intended to have.. romantic entanglements," he murmured. "However, if I were to consider one, it would be someone my equal. A partner."

Entrapta side-stepped, shivering in what she noted with surprise was delight from the sensation of Hordak's breath whispering over her ear, and finally turned to face him. "A partner?"

Hordak did not miss the note of hope in Entrapta's voice. He straightened, now knowing he had her full attention. "If I wanted a lapdog, I would find a pet," he said. Maybe it was a little cruel, but it was the truth. "I would want someone by my side, who I could trust and would fight at my back, not stare at it. Someone who would challenge me, inspire me, make me stronger by my wishes to please them." He gave her a warm look. "Someone who does not only see me as the fearsome Lord Hordak, ruler of the Fright Zone. Someone willing to take me down a peg if necessary." He said the last bit with a touch of self-deprecating humor.

Now it was Entrapta's turn to blush, and she could feel the heat practically radiating off her body. That worm in the pit of her stomach had ended up being a caterpillar that was now shedding its cocoon as a butterfly that made her heart flutter. "So what about a _lab_ partner?"

"They would be my very first choice," Hordak replied, trying to inject as much warmth into his voice as possible.

"That's good to know," Entrapta said as she stopped twiddling her hair-thumbs. One hair-hand dissolved, but her left one remained, seeking out Hordak's right hand.

Hordak grasped Entrapta's offering lightly, and her hair wove itself between his fingers.

"You said something about needing a skiff to see the other areas?" Entrapta asked, knowing she was still blushing.

"Indeed. Follow me," Hordak said, and he could not help but smile as Entrapta arranged all of her free hair back into legs so she could keep pace with him.

Stay by his side of her own volition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe there's only two more chapters to go! But don't worry, the tour will wrap up nicely. I won't leave anything hanging, I promise!


	10. Reality Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Update 05/17/20:** I remain completely overwhelmed in the best way having so many artists being inspired by my fic to the point of drawing illustrations! I am adding a very lovely piece by [Animator](https://consistantly-changing.tumblr.com) in the appropriate spot. So please click the link in the fic below if you're interested and give her some love!
> 
> **Update 07/10/20:** And another wonderful work of art has been drawn for this chapter! :D It's an amazing piece by [Anna](https://www.instagram.com/sheepianna2_uwu/)! A link has been added in the appropriate place, so please enjoy if you so desire.

Hordak was glad he had insisted on Entrapta winding her hair around her waist as they sped through the artificial sky since she absolutely refused to sit down, and the likelihood of her hair getting trapped in the motor or worse was quite high. She also kept leaning out of the skiff at angles that made him extremely nervous, hopping to and fro to try and take everything in. 

Panels mimicking daylight shone above them, providing the plants in the arrays with the proper nutrients, while below, the crops themselves were difficult to see through the sea of drones working diligently to keep everything on track despite the tens of thousands of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes, and seeds under their care. The sea of green beneath the white was dotted with spots of others colors, technicians making sure the drones were functioning at peak efficiency.

"What did you call this again?" Entrapta asked, straightening after another harrowing bend over the side to get a better look.

"Hydroponics," Hordak said, trying to keep his voice level.

"Would you mind teaching me the basics? I know the people of Dryl would be thrilled with truly fresh food! Of course, I know I would have to get approval from the Council to use it outside the castle, but the potential is incredible!"

"I can, but I think you would learn better by studying one of the gardening drones," Hordak replied.

Entrapta grinned at him as the idea filtered through her brain. "You're right. I would learn even better through reverse engineering the code. You know me so well!"

A light wash of color infused Hordak's cheeks and the tips of his ears. "I do my best," he murmured, but his response was lost in the wind created by the skiff.

The transportation skiff they were currently on was designed with some slight differences from the ones meant purely for war. This particular one was primarily emerald green with some darker and more subdued shades for accents. The nose was much shorter and rounded, while the sail was roughly half the height. Even though the machine was still guided with a rudder, the engine was far more robust to make up for the fact that there was no natural wind so far below ground level.

"This is beautiful," Entrapta sighed. "No wonder you are so protective of it." She paused, rapidly putting a bunch of puzzle pieces in her mind together. "I know you have to maintain your image, but I wish others could know you're much more of a creator than a destroyer."

Hordak nearly veered the vehicle into the ceiling in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Entrapta finally sat, gazing out over the unending, uniform fields of plastic, metal, and plantlife ahead as she continued putting her thoughts together. "Think about it. You spend your free time making clothing. You are working towards creating a viable portal machine. You have created an entire society made up of beings from all different species and cultures. The largest level of your kingdom thus far is dedicated to raising crops. You _created_ the Etherian Horde out of practically nothing. Yes, you destroy property, but I think that's more than made up by the advances you've made here in the Fright Zone. That's not even mentioning all the bots and machinery the military branch uses."

Hordak's blush grew deeper. "Pure chance," he grumbled.

"Trideer dross," Entrapta countered. "You don't leave anything up to chance. Even I know that."

Hordak took as deep a breath as he could, then blew it out between pursed lips to try and keep himself focused. "The society I come from would not accept that. It is not a soldier's place to create. Only our Emperor had that right."

Entrapta put a hair hand over the back of Hordak's, knowing he needed the rest of his hand free to keep steering. "YOU are Emperor here."

"Absolutely not." Hordak's reply was swift, pain-filled. "There is a reason I refuse any other title but Lord, and I only took that one under duress."

Entrapta looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Hordak took a shuddering breath. "My past is not your fault," he said, eager to dissolve any blame on her part.

Entrapta nodded. "Everybody has a past," she said. "All those who care can do is try to understand it. I know that's even harder for me, but I want to understand you, Hordak. As I said earlier, you are important to me."

" _How in the universe does she do that?_ " Hordak pondered in the privacy of his own mind. Once again, she had found the heart of the issue and dismantled the fortifications he had put up there. Seen his temper rise, and defused it with the certainty and grace of an expert. "As you are important to me," Hordak said aloud. "I know I have only scratched the surface so far, but I want to learn everything I can about you as well, Entrapta."

A companionable silence laced with warmth followed until a solid wall of shiny, silvery metal rose up before them in the distance.

"What's that?" Entrapta asked, shading her eyes with a hand to try and get a better look.

"We are coming up to the Manufacturing Ring," Hordak told her. "It separates the crop growing and animal husbandry sectors."

"Manufacturing Ring?" Entrapta echoed, then she removed the hair hand from the back of Hordak's flesh-and-blood one, forming its twin with her other ponytail before clapping them together. "That's where you package and preserve all this food, isn't it?"

Hordak gave her a brief, and what he hoped was reassuring, smile, knowing he needed to keep his wits and dignity about him. "Exactly. I am more than happy to let you explore since like the growing process, the manufacturing portion is handled by technology with minimal organic oversight. All I would ask is that you keep an eye on how close your hair is to the machines. I would rather not have you frozen and packaged up to go in a warehouse." There were far more dire fates, but Hordak refused to think about what would happen if she somehow got caught in, say, a chopping machine.

"Okay," Entrapta said, "I promise." Usually Entrapta would feel constrained by any rules, but she could see the sense in his warning. She phrased it to herself "What if Hordak's cape got caught?". He didn't try to order her around, he asked politely. She also remembered the worry on his face back when she was nearly crushed by a hydroponic array such a short time ago. Nobody had ever even really _cared_ if she got hurt. It was both frightening and made her feel all warm and tingly inside knowing Hordak obviously did.

She vowed she would do better about the whole "personal safety" thing.

As they approached the wall, Entrapta let out a squeal of delight. There were three separate openings stacked on top of each other. The lowest one was obviously for people on foot and machines. The second was most of the way up, large enough to accommodate a skiff. The one at the very top allowed a constant stream of drones to buzz in and out. Entrapta watched, enraptured, as the drones flew like flocks of birds either laden down or coming out empty, having made their delivery, and going back out for more product.

Hordak slowed the skiff as they approached the gate. They came to a stop next to the guard booth. The woman inside took one look and snapped to attention, giving a salute.

"Lord Hordak!"

Hordak nodded in acknowledgement. "Just a tour; I am not doing an inspection today."

The guard relaxed a fraction. "Yes, sir. You are welcome as always, Lord Hordak!"

Hordak re-engaged the skiff's engine and took off, sailing into the much darker atmosphere beyond the gate which seemed to swallow the more natural light now behind them.

"Why is it so much darker in here?" Entrapta asked.

"It is lighter closer to the ground," Hordak replied. "Incandescent lighting is used here, as most of the organic workers have sensitivities like yours, but to light rather than touch."

Entrapta blinked. "You provide people with.. unique needs somewhere to work?"

Hordak shrugged as best he could while steering. "It is my experience that those who need some support tend to be some of the most loyal and hardworking citizens," he said. "I cannot accept flaws in the military branch, but as far as civilians go? Everyone should have an opportunity to be useful if they so wish." Hordak swallowed, hoping Entrapta didn't catch the slight tremor in his voice toward the end of his speech.

"I think it's wonderful," Entrapta said.

Hordak was thankful for the dim lighting, and he dearly hoped his cheeks and ears would cool before they landed.

~*~*~*~

Hordak watched, mesmerized, as Entrapta swung through the air, the epitome of strength and grace. How anyone could not find her beautiful was beyond him. She wove in and out between machines, studying everything, poking hair fingers here and there, but fulfilling her assurance that she would be careful not to let her hair get caught.

He had picked this particular facility to land in since the workers would be on lunch break, as it was the last building in the rotation. Otherwise, they would have been distracted by Entrapta's antics and that could be dangerous.

Conveyor belts whirred, transporting product from one machine to another. Some were chopped, some were shredded, others were frozen immediately before being packaged in all sorts of ways and finally being spit out into massive containers that would be taken away at the end of the day to long-term storage. Other factories like this one took care of current civilian needs, but if there was one thing Hordak had learned in his journeys through the wider universe, famine was always a hovering possibility. If anything happened to food production, something as simple as a virus infecting the gardening drones, he would rather have a store large enough for everyone to live on for a while. Although he was considering upping the universal weekly rations since their stockpile was currently sufficient to feed both civilian and military populations for roughly a year.

Hordak was brought out of his musing by Entrapta alighting beside him.

"This is amazing!" she crowed. "You're a genius! You _are_ the one who designed the production lines, aren't you?"

Hordak felt the warmth flooding his cheeks and the tips of his ears yet again, his hearts beating steadily yet with overwhelming strength, almost to the point of pain in the wake of Entrapta's praise. "Yes, I am."

"Such economy of space, yet everything makes sense and flows perfectly," Entrapta enthused, then gave Hordak a sideways glance. "Maybe I should be the one to commission you to design something similar for Dryl."

Hordak snorted. "All you have to do is ask. You are my lab partner, after all."

"Goodie!" Entrapta cried, clapping her hair hands together as the rest gathered in a spring beneath her to let her bounce and twirl at the same time.

Hordak knew he had to look like an utter fool, grinning at Entrapta's infectious joy, but since no civilians were around to see, he allowed himself the indulgence.

Once Entrapta had calmed down, lowering herself to the ground, she clasped both her hair and gloved hands together. "Now it makes perfect sense how you can provide basic needs for so many people," she said. "You're using your knowledge of tech from more advanced planets to make strides that are beyond the typical Etherian's comprehension!"

A mind like Entrapta's was truly wasted on a backwater planet like Etheria, Hordak thought. How could a ball of little more than mud and sticks produce someone like her? Hordak had asked himself time and again, why had he ended up here? Perhaps it was because there was a jewel no native-born being would appreciate hidden, waiting for someone of similar intellect to see both her worth and potential.

"And if the Horde's enemies ever learned of all this..." Hordak intoned.

Entrapta frowned. "They would destroy it." Her hair frizzed slightly. "Over my dead body!" She turned to Hordak. "I was a little nervous myself about whether I'd be able to keep this secret, but wild phosphobeetles couldn't drag it out of me now!"

Hordak couldn't help the warmth that settled in his soul at hearing Entrapta's proclamation. She was born a monarch, and he could see she was coming to love the kingdom he had built. Part of him wanted to make it official, name her as his successor, but he was also aware that would be too much too soon. Entrapta had only been in the Fright Zone for a little over a month.

Such drastic measures could wait, but it gave him a measure of comfort knowing there was someone he could trust to take over if his various defects decided to take him out all at once.

"Are you at all interested in the animal husbandry area, or should we simply continue on to the lake?" Hordak asked. "There is direct access to the lowest level here."

Entrapta thought a moment. "Is there more tech in the animal husbandry area?" she asked.

Hordak gave her a half-smile. "Some, though not nearly as impressive as this," he said, motioning to the myriad of machines and tech chugging along all around them.

"I'd still like to see it," Entrapta said, "as long as you aren't too tired."

Hordak raised a brow ridge at her. "I am perfectly fine. Let us continue."

Entrapta beamed up at him, taking his right hand with her left one made of hair. "Ready when you are!"

~*~*~*~

"I didn't know there were so many types of domesticated animals left in Etheria!" Entrapta burst out. "I may not be a specialist when it comes to organic beings, but..."

Hordak allowed himself another smile as he navigated the skiff through the air under another ceiling created to mimic what the Etherian skies would look like if it were part of the wider universe. It had taken a moment for Entrapta's eyes to adjust after being in the darker Manufacturing Ring, a variable Hordak himself didn't have to worry about due to all Clones' optical units being completely cybernetic, but the moment she could see, Entrapta had been enthralled.

"The Ceylonians domesticated as many animals as they could find that would provide meat, milk, and/or other products for consumption," Hordak said, trying to keep his lecture short. He knew Entrapta had already taken in quite a lot of information for one day. "The practices used today are the same ones that have been in use for centuries, just enhanced by a little tech."

Entrapta watched as a little round bot rolled through the grassy fields below. "Those bots look different from the battle droids," she said. "Wait, it looks like it's on a platform of some kind rather than legs!"

"They are on rolling tracks," Hordak explained. "That way, the bots can move on all sorts of terrain."

Entrapta turned her gaze on Hordak. "Why don't the battle droids have them instead of legs, then?" she asked.

"The current design of the rollers is unfortunately delicate," Hordak replied. "They require quite a few moving parts, and are more easily disabled. Battle droids without legs can still roll. Farming bots without tracks cannot due to the top plate of the track still being intact."

"Fascinating," Entrapta remarked. "And the animals don't seem to react at all to the drones!"

"That is simply a product of exposure," Hordak explained. "The current generation of livestock have been cared for and treated by tech their entire lives. That is not to say there are no organic beings involved. The bots and drones simply allow the animals to roam freely rather than needing to be rounded up on a regular basis to collect product."

Entrapta brightened with comprehension. "Like my chickens! The original generation hated the bots, but succeeding ones had no problems with them."

"Precisely," Hordak replied.

A few minutes later, a sprawling complex of buildings appeared on the horizon. Most of them were perfect rectangular blocks, reminding Entrapta a little of the infamous Horde military rations, but these were cream-colored with bright, flat red roofs for "icing". The remaining buildings were not quite as sturdy-looking, the roofs pitched and Entrapta would almost swear she could see the sides _moving_.

Hordak slowed the skiff down, making sure the way was clear before coming in for a landing. The caretakers wouldn't appreciate him processing any of the livestock on the spot, after all.

Entrapta immediately squealed and jumped off. "Chickens!" she cried, hurrying over to the nearest pasture. The green grass was liberally dotted with brown and white bodies, clucking away and minding their own business. "So cute!"

Hordak shook his head and dismounted with considerably more grace, shaking out his cloak in hopes that would tend to any wrinkles it had accumulated during their travels.

"Lord Hordak! Long time, no see!" a booming voice greeted the leader of the Fright Zone.

"Good afternoon, Rancher Kudu," Hordak responded, already prepared when the man coming toward him held out a dark scorpion claw. Hordak was grateful for his armor as he clasped the rancher's naturally, armored forearm in the traditional greeting between "clan" leaders. Otherwise, he would have likely been knocked sideways off his feet.

Rancher Kudu was quite literally a mountain of a man, tall, broad-shouldered, and 100% pure muscle. Hundreds of tiny black braids studded with colorful beads were gathered at the nape of his neck with a leather thong. His moustache and long beard were thick and bushy, well-cared for but springy. His skin was the color of rich, damp earth, his eyes carrying a hint of green within their loamy depths. His smile was broad, welcoming like the man himself, which offset the wicked-looking inky spiked armor naturally perched on his shoulders as well as the matching claws and pointy tail curled behind him. He was dressed in typical Ceylonian clothing for his social standing, a cotton vest dyed blood red and loose trousers the color of sand.

"So what brings you--?" Rancher Kudu started to ask when a chorus of cackles rose up to cut him off. Both the Rancher and Hordak turned to stare at the sight of Entrapta surrounded by chickens, at least half a dozen comfortably curled up in "nests" of her hair lying on the ground.

Hordak coughed into his fist in an effort to cover up a snort of laughter before replying. "Rancher Kudu, meet Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Or perhaps she has a secondary title of 'Queen of the Chickens' that I didn't know about."

[Queen of the Chickens](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWeQOCpu8Q) by [Anna](https://www.instagram.com/sheepianna2_uwu/)

Rancher Kudu gave Hordak a sideways look. "I haven't heard you crack a joke since I was barely in proper trousers," the Rancher said.

"There has been very little to truly laugh about in recent years," Hordak said. "However, I have lately been coming to appreciate the absurd."

"Hordak! Hordak! Hordak!"

The men's conversation was interrupted by Entrapta, who had somehow extricated herself from most of the chickens, only one still perching on her shoulder and a tuft of yellow cupped in her righthand glove.

"This Mama chicken is letting me hold her baby. I thought Mama was adorable, but look at this little cutie!" Entrapta enthused.

Hordak blinked. He knew Entrapta liked tiny things. He would never have guessed that extended to organic life forms as well.

"Well, well, Your Highness. Duchess there doesn't just let anyone near her, let alone her chicks," Rancher Kudu said.

Entrapta stared, as if seeing that Hordak wasn't alone for the first time. "Oh, hello there. I'm Entrapta!"

"Entrapta, this is Rancher Kudu. He is the Head Rancher of the entire animal husbandry program," Hordak said, completing the introduction.

Entrapta tilted her head. "You remind me a lot of my friend Scorpia," she said.

Rancher Kudu let out a booming laugh. "I remember Princess Scorpia. We were friends when we were barely old enough to walk, but I doubt she remembers that now."

Hordak gave Rancher Kudu a warning look, which earned him an amused one in return.

"That's too bad," Entrapta said, very lightly brushing the tip of her left index finger over the chick's head and back. "She's nice."

"Glad to hear that hasn't changed. Even if she tended to get a little rough with me."

"Kudu," Hordak growled.

"Apparently Lord Hordak's right boot was HER domain," Rancher Kudu finished, blithely ignoring the warlord beside him. "So I had to take his left one."

["So I had to take his left one."](https://consistantly-changing.tumblr.com/post/618319131062697984/its-done-i-dont-use-colour-so-heres-a-black) by [Animator](https://consistantly-changing.tumblr.com)

Hordak wished either the ground would swallow him up, or a bolt of lightning would strike him. Something to spare him such reminiscences. Especially when Entrapta's gaze focused on his feet.

Entrapta very carefully set the chick down, its mother fluttering down off her shoulder before Entrapta approached Hordak. "So you had not only one, but two babies on your boots?"

Hordak gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yes. I could not have kicked them off without causing injury, so I was forced to endure it."

"Endure, uh-huh," Entrapta said, skepticism lacing her tone. "Mr. Scritches-Imp-Under-the-Chin."

To Hordak's utter chagrin, he felt himself blushing. Again.

Entrapta opened her mouth to continue, but suddenly she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She let out a gasp of delight. "Piggies!" She turned and raced through the currently empty chicken "coop", which was actually a massive tent, which was why she had seen the sides moving earlier.

Hordak felt his feet moving without conscious permission, in the back of his mind hoping to catch Entrapta before she went flying face-first into the massive pig pen on the other side of the tent. Rancher Kudu followed, and Hordak didn't need to look to see the bigger man's toothy grin.

"Miss! Please be careful! MISS!" a new higher, thinner voice floated over from the farthest side of the pig pen.

The fence around the pen was fairly tall, so Entrapta had hopped up on the bottom rail, one gloved hand on the top rail to help keep her balance as she waved with her free gloved hand and separated her hair into several more. When Hordak got close enough, he realized she had taken out her recorder and was rambling into it.

"I have only read about pigs in books, and of course Baker has made me food in the shape of one, but I've never seen one in person, and there's a whole bunch of them! Right here in the Fright Zone! There must be at least a hundred!" Entrapta burbled in happiness.

"Miss!"

Entrapta was engrossed in her observations, so Hordak took it upon himself to extend an arm, cutting her would-be rescuer off. "If you try and pull her down, you will unbalance her," Hordak said, looking at the new arrival and realizing that even though he'd never seen the man before, he was somehow familiar. "Leave her be."

"But..!"

"Deep breaths, Kevin," Rancher Kudu said, clapping the young man beside him on the shoulder.

The commotion finally caught Entrapta's attention, and she looked over at the three men. She blinked, then jumped down from the fence. However, she didn't put her recorder away. "Fright Zone Tour Log 5," she said, "this new person looks familiar." Entrapta stared at the man addressed as Kevin for a few moments, then it dawned on her. She curled one hair hand into a fist before smacking it into the open palm of another one. "Kyle! You've gotten.. taller!"

The slender young man raised a hand to the back of his head, rubbing his sandy hair in embarrassment as color flooded his surprisingly pale complexion. "Er, sorry, Miss. I'm not Kyle, I'm Kevin. Kyle is my little brother."

"Kyle has a big brother? Fascinating..." Entrapta replied, squinting as if preparing to put him on a slide for further study.

"He probably doesn't remember me, though. He insisted on going into the military all the way back when he was five years old," Kevin said. "He'd made friends with several of the orphans in the Infirmary, and they all tested in. I'm actually happy to hear he's still alive."

"Kyle's tougher than he looks," Entrapta said. "I mean, he stood up to being tossed around like a ragdoll by one of my out-of-control prototype bots really well."

"That is not information that should be shared with family, Entrapta," Hordak interjected.

Entrapta looked at him. "It isn't?"

"No," Hordak replied as gently as he could, ignoring the weight of Kudu and Kevin's stares. "Most people see that kind of thing as dangerous, so you just implied his younger brother was in danger."

"Oh." Entrapta cast her gaze to her boots. "Sorry 'bout that. I was trying to reassure you, Kevin."

Rancher Kudu moved his hand from Kevin's shoulder only to slide his arm around both of them, Kudu's beefy claw hooking over Kevin's far arm so Kudu's bicep pressed firmly against his partner's. "Sounds like Kyle takes after his big brother," Kudu said. "You wouldn't guess it from appearances, but this guy is practically indestructible."

Kevin turned a brighter shade of pink than the pigs in the sty. "Kudu..."

Entrapta's eyes widened as she noticed a simple gold chain around Rancher Kudu's neck catch the light. A plain titanium ring hung on it like a pendant. She snuck a look at Kevin and saw an identical chain disappearing beneath the thinner man's sensible light-and-dark-blue-checkered button-down shirt that was tucked into trousers made of indigo-dyed canvas held up with a simple leather belt. She grinned and clapped her hair hands. "Then I bet Kyle also doesn't know he has a brother-in-law!"

For the first time, Rancher Kudu looked almost shy, his grin sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head in an echo of Kevin's earlier gesture.

If Kevin could turn even more red, he would have. "No, no he doesn't."

Rancher Kudu cleared his throat. "Say, Your Highness, would you like to see how the pigs are fed? I'm sure Kevin would be happy to show you. Especially since, well, you seem to have overlooked the piglets."

"Please, call me Entrapta! And did you say piglets?!" Entrapta ended the sentence in a squeal. "Yes! Erm, please!"

"Then please follow me, Princess Entrapta," Kevin said, gesturing for her to follow.

"You can call me Entrapta, too, you know," Entrapta said before holding up her recorder again. "Fright Zone Tour Log 5 continued. I have now met Kyle's big brother and brother-in-law, and Kyle's brother is going to show me baby pigs!"

Hordak and Rancher Kudu stood in companionable silence, watching Kevin lead Entrapta to where the feeders were located. Entrapta was obviously enthralled by both the dispensing mechanism and the way it was filled, talking non-stop into her recorder and even once thrusting it at Kevin so he could explain something. Kevin looked startled for a moment, then began to talk, soon blossoming as he warmed to his passion, his face almost as animated as Entrapta's.

"So, Lord Hordak, are we going to see more babies on your boots soon?" Rancher Kudu asked.

"I am afraid the time for that is long past. I am now Lord Hordak, not King Toxitail's pet project," Hordak said, utterly confused. It was honestly a relief even though it was a bit strange being able to let his mask slip. There was no standing on principle with someone who had once been a chubby-cheeked infant giggling and cheering at being able to cover so much ground on his personal "skiff", aka Hordak's boot.

"Oh, I think people would make an exception for said Lord Hordak's children," Rancher Kudu said, very lightly nudging Hordak in the ribs with his elbow.

Hordak could feel his brain stall, every trace of rational thought fleeing. In the absurdity of the moment, he idly wondered if his eyes had turned blue as an indication his mind had thrown up the ultimate fatal error. All he could do was watch Kevin as he handed Entrapta a squirming piglet. The way Entrapta grinned as she cooed over the little thing, carefully holding it with her hair.

Hordak's brain did its best to try and reboot. What would offspring with Entrapta look like? They would no doubt be blindingly intelligent. Would they be energetic like their mother, or more staid like himself? Would they love science like both parents, or maybe interested in the arts? He could almost see it. There would need to be at least one daughter to carry on the Dryl royal line. Would she have purple hair like her mother, or his natural white? Whose eyes, skin, and facial features?

Then cold, cruel reality crashed down on him as his brain finished rebooting, bringing the return of relentless logic along with it.

"Such a thing is.. not possible," Hordak grated, forcing the words to leave his mouth as if each one was an individual curse. Clones did not _have_ reproductive capabilities. And even if it were possible, the moment Horde Prime arrived, he would have such an "anomaly" as the child of a Clone eradicated. Life was a gift given solely by Horde Prime, not some "random error" caused by the coupling of a Clone with a partner who was somehow genetically compatible.

_But what if Horde Prime never comes? You could simply dismantle the portal machine. Work on other projects, with Entrapta's assistance._

Hordak viciously smacked that traitorous thought away. Preparing for Horde Prime's arrival, conquering Etheria, had been his purpose for decades now. It was all he had left to live for.

_Not anymore._

Hordak snarled, stuffing his feelings as far down as he possibly could.

Rancher Kudu pretended not to hear the sounds Hordak was making. He waited until whatever storm that was brewing in his old friend's mind settled before quietly saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way, you know."

Hordak drew himself up, wrapping what was left of his composure around himself like a shield, imagining a sheet of ice coming down and severing the connection between his ridiculous emotions and cold logic. "Then I shall have to apply my will to _productive_ things, not foolish daydreams," he said, his tone as frigid as the Northern Reach. Normally he would go to Entrapta, but he didn't want to subject her to his current black mood.

Rancher Kudu watched as Hordak stalked away, heading for a large apple tree some ways off. The rancher shook his head at the Lord's foolishness. It was plain to anyone with eyes that both Hordak and Entrapta had feelings for each other, but Kudu knew the more he pushed, the more Hordak would pull back. So he simply stood there, a faint smile crossing his lips as he watched Kevin and Entrapta. Twin rays of sunshine filling the air with laughter and light.

Kudu only hoped the Lord of the Fright Zone wised up before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *builds a barricade against incoming rotten produce*
> 
> Had a doctor's appointment this morning (just a checkup!) that it took way too long to get home from. Thankfully I had this chapter mostly edited yesterday so I'd have something to post!
> 
> Also, if you noticed the chapter count just went up to 12, I was inspired in the middle of the night with an idea for a short epilogue. I don't even have a rough draft yet, but it's just a cute little extra dose of fluff that I think ties things up better than the original ending in Chapter 11. So please stay tuned!


	11. Irreplaceable

"Hordak? Are you okay?"

Hordak took as deep a breath as he could and let it out slowly. He wriggled his fingers in the deeply plowed soil he had created in an effort to dispel the torment his thoughts had subjected him to. He had wanted to tear, rend, destroy, but everything else within sight was organic. At least the dirt would not cry out in pain as Hordak bled his fury at his own impotence into the ground rather than weaponizing it.

"I will be," Hordak finally intoned in response to Entrapta's question. Then he heard the rustle of fabric, and did not need to look in order to know Entrapta had joined him on the ground beneath the apple tree. She was close enough he could feel her presence, but he would guess she was sitting at a ninety-degree angle to give him space.

"Did Kudu say something mean to you?" Entrapta asked.

Hordak sighed. "On the contrary, he was trying to be friendly. There was no way he could have known his words would bring to mind things I would rather not think about. Tempt me with the impossible. Make me think for even one moment my destiny is not written in stone."

Entrapta could tell that whatever had been said upset Hordak deeply. He looked almost defeated. Of course, realizing that she was able to make such observations brought up a whole other set of questions. She'd always had trouble reading people since she was a little girl, but it came so naturally with Hordak. Maybe it was because his angular features made him resemble something mechanical rather than organic.

But the important thing now was to try and help him.

"Oh I don't know about that," Entrapta ventured. "I think you've done pretty well in the 'defying destiny' department."

Now Hordak did turn his head to look at her, confirming his theory. She had drawn her knees up, her arms resting on them as she gazed out into the distance. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Entrapta said, "I mean, I may not know much, but you have said many times you were raised to be a part of the military. Yet here you are, not only leading an army, but keeping an entire kingdom running. You have never been a civilian, but you do better than many Princesses when it comes to caring for your people. From what you have said, you come from a culture where your Emperor is the supreme authority, one you would never question. Yet here you are, taking advice and suggestions from those under your rule. I may not know the exact circumstances of how you landed here, but it sounds to me like you would have simply served your Emperor until you died. Here on Etheria, you are what they would call a self-made man. You took being marooned on an unfamiliar planet, separated from the universe you grew up in, and built an empire of your own. If that is not carving your own destiny, I don't know what is." Entrapta turned her head, looking over her right shoulder. "Does that make sense?"

Hordak let out a long, slow breath. There was no flaw in Entrapta's logic, no matter how hard he tried to poke holes in it. He should be terrified at how she could so easily dismantle his walls, deflect and diffuse his rages. Instead, she fortified any barricade she breached, filled in any chinks in his armor she discovered, offered quiet strength when he needed time to process his thoughts.

She was the perfect partner for him in every way.

"Thank you," Hordak finally managed to say aloud.

Several minutes passed before Hordak felt the sensation of Entrapta's gloved right hand coming to rest over the back of his bare left hand, fingers still embedded in the dirt. He could tell she was marshaling her strength to say something, so he remained quiet.

Finally, Entrapta got up the courage to ask, "Would you mind telling me what Kudu said? Just that! I'm not trying to pry. Just specifically what set you off! I don't want to make the same mistake. Please?"

It was the way Entrapta had asked that completely took the wind out of Hordak's sails. How could he be angry or take offense when she was simply trying to be aware of his own sensitivities? It was galling, knowing she deserved the truth, no matter how much he wished he could withhold such personal information.

Hordak swallowed, wishing his throat hadn't gone so dry. "I believe my reaction is largely attributable to the fact that I had never even considered what Kudu was talking about, and immediately being forced to realize not only that some part of me found the idea appealing, that said concept is.. impossible for me to achieve."

Entrapta knew that whatever it was, it had to be big. Hordak only tended to ramble when he needed to build up his courage. She squeezed his hand lightly, in a way she hoped was reassuring. When her lab partner remained silent, she prompted, "I can't imagine anything being impossible for you."

Hordak snorted in a self-deprecating manner. "You'd be surprised," he grumbled. Another minute or two passed as Hordak considered his options. In all honesty, if anyone deserved to have such information, it would be Entrapta. "You know earlier how we were discussing how we came into being?"

Entrapta nodded, giving Hordak's hand yet another squeeze. "That we're both vitrine babies," she said.

"In the society I was born and raised in," Hordak began, letting the words simply flow after making absolutely sure there was no one within earshot, "the young are _tailored_ , genetically. Our destinies coded into us before we even leave the po.. er.. vitrine."

"Coded into you?" Entrapta looked vaguely horrified.

Hordak sighed. "I was coded as military from the start. Those coded as military are designed with greatly reduced basic needs, and other functions are completely discarded, or so we are told. One of the discarded functions is the ability to reproduce."

All the pieces fell into place for Entrapta, especially considering the fact she and Kevin had been fussing over a piglet when she saw Hordak storm away from Kudu. "Kudu joked about babies, didn't he?"

"Yes," Hordak said, biting off the word as if to try and stop it from doing any more damage.

Entrapta turned and raised her head, looking up at the artificial sky above, seamless images of a field of pure blue with just a few wispy, white clouds floating across the expanse. "I can see why you would be upset. Your ability to choose was taken away from you before you even came into the world. Even if you never truly want biological children, it's the removal of the possibility without your permission. Since you had never considered the situation, it hit you like a tank."

Everything Entrapta said made sense and struck a chord deep inside. Hordak's head swayed gently from side to side, as if in denial. "Once again, it seems that you are right," he said.

"Now all that being said, you're wrong about the possibility of you having biological children being nonexistent."

Hordak froze, disbelief filling him from head to toe. He wanted to accused Entrapta of lying to make him feel better, but he knew she was constitutionally incapable of doing so. "Entrapta, my body does not, nor ever will, produce genetic material."

"Maybe not in the classic sense," Entrapta replied, "but everybody sheds DNA everywhere, all the time. I may not be that interested in Biology in general, but Dryl has been the epicenter of genetic experimentation since the time of the First Ones. It makes sense, now that I know Dryl was the first kingdom to lose its runestone. Normally, Etherians who cannot produce offspring in the typical way do so with the aid of magic, whether that comes from an elemental Princess or a trained sorcerer like from Mystacore. Tech is considered the last resort, but my robo-parents made sure I knew how to manipulate DNA and successfully grow a fertilized egg into a baby."

Hordak could feel and hear the blood rushing through his ears. "You grow, to use your words, vitrine babies," he said, almost deadpan.

"Don't worry. There haven't been any requests since I joined, well, originally The Rebellion," Entrapta told him. "Allying with Queen Angella and Sorceress Castaspella means that since then, everyone in Dryl who has wanted a baby can have one by magic. Both of them are very liberal with their gifts. And before you ask, I only do a maximum of three genetic alterations, and _only_ if they improve a potential child's quality of life. Apparently my robo-parents were not so.. discerning."

"So in my case?" Hordak asked, curious despite himself.

Entrapta grinned. "That's easy. I'd just collect DNA samples from you. Skin, hair, cheek swab, stuff like that. Once I have your DNA template, I can insert it into a carrier gamete that has had its original DNA removed. I can do that in my sleep, since that is standard procedure for how I help same-sex parents have babies. Then just combine it with a complimentary gamete and BAM! Zygote ready to go."

"A complimentary gamete?" Hordak echoed, fascinated.

Entrapta found herself blushing for some odd reason. "An egg, if the carrier gamete is sperm. Or if the carrier gamete is an egg, I inject a sperm cell. Since I'm the one doing the combining rather than the forces of nature, it's way more efficient, and I always check for compatibility before even creating a carrier. And before you ask, the carrier gametes are made from spare genetic materials that have been donated by others. The donations are voluntary, and put my services within affordability range for a lot of couples that would otherwise be unable to make a request due to financial concerns."

Hordak sighed. "It is a moot point, but.. thank you, for giving me that information."

"Hey, anything for my lab partner," Entrapta replied, adding a hair hand to his shoulder to compliment the gloved one already on his. "Although, mind if I ask a potentially personal question?"

Hordak snorted. "I don't think you can get any more personal than what we just discussed, so go ahead."

"If you can't reproduce, where did Imp come from? I mean, you're obviously of the same species, but even discounting his physical appearance, you've implied you landed on Etheria alone," Entrapta said.

"Imp was," Hordak hesitated, trying to find the right words, "an experiment. A failed one, technically, and I have never been able to even come close to replicating the results. He was supposed to grow to adulthood, but he simply stopped in infancy. I had to make a decision, literally throw the baby out with the bathwater, or take him into my care. Obviously, I chose the latter. A choice my progenitor would not have made."

"But you are not your progenitor, nor your Emperor," Entrapta said. "You are Hordak, ruler of the Etherian Horde. Besides, if you'd simply trashed him, you wouldn't have such a cute little spy to gather information!"

A smile threatened to pull the corners of Hordak's lips upward. "You do have a point," he said, his voice finally thawing to expose a touch of warmth.

"What about his wings, then? And the tail? Do you hide them or something?"

Hordak wanted to roll his eyes, since he knew Entrapta was trying to get a look beneath his cloak. "That is more than one personal question," he replied, as dryly as he could.

Entrapta stopped, opened her mouth to apologize, then rapidly closed it and gave him a glare. "You're teasing me again!"

"Yes, I am," Hordak intoned. "To answer your question, as I am certain your curious mind will continue to dwell on it, they are a throwback to an earlier time. The wings and tails were considered unnecessary appendages, more likely to be weaknesses than strengths in combat. So they were edited out of my species' genetic code. Or so I was told and thus believed, until Imp retained his outside of the vitrine."

The artificial sky above caught both their attention as streaks of more vibrant color began to leak in around the edges.

"Evening already?" Entrapta asked, her eyes widening. "I'm sorry, Hordak! I've kept you away from your work all day!"

"I am the one who offered to give you a tour," Hordak replied. "I believe I needed a break more than I realized. One more day won't make that much of a difference."

Entrapta tapped her lower lip with her left index finger. "I think I might have an idea that will help, but I want to make sure I've seen everything the Fright Zone has to offer first. We just have the underground lake to go, right? Is it important? It's just water."

"It is important," Hordak assured her. "And there is tech down there I am sure you would be interested in."

Entrapta leapt to her feet, withdrawing both her hair and gloved hands from Hordak's person. "Then we should get going!" Then she sobered a little. "Thank you, by the way, for sharing all that with me."

Hordak bit back the surly reply that was on the tip of his tongue as he slowly withdrew his fingers from the ground, using the remaining surrounding grass to wipe them off. Her questions showed that she cared, and he would not repay her consideration with rudeness. He simply wasn't used to being _vulnerable_ in someone else's presence. So he only trusted himself to nod.

Entrapta seemed to understand, though. She smiled in response, then asked, "Would you like a hand up?" while waving a hair hand at him.

Hordak sighed. He knew he shouldn't get used to this, but... "Go ahead," he said. Moments later, silky hair wrapped around his waist and easily picked him up, setting him on his feet and not letting go until he had obviously regained at least his physical equilibrium. "My thanks," he murmured, just loud enough for Entrapta to hear.

"Anytime!" Entrapta replied, bouncing a little as her hair returned to the bulk of her ponytail. "Now, let's say good-bye to Kudu and Kevin before we head out."

"I do owe Kudu an apology," Hordak said, a little reluctantly.

"Good, let's go!" Entrapta wrapped a tendril of hair around Hordak's wrist, all but pulling him along behind her as she skipped back towards the two ranchers who had obviously been trying to give them privacy.

Hordak knew he should pull back, protest, do something to indicate this wasn't acceptable. The problem was, he didn't want to. He was rapidly finding he _liked_ it when Entrapta wrapped her hair around him, even in such a small way.

She was going to be the death of him, Hordak mused. Or at the very least, of his dignity. And yet, that thought didn't disturb him nearly as much as it should have.

~*~*~*~

The artificial sky was fully dyed with a fiery rainbow of colors by the time they finished saying their farewells and re-boarded the skiff. Entrapta stared, enthralled. "It's beautiful," she sighed in pleasure.

Hordak couldn't help but agree. He had designed the changing of the panels to be practical, but he hadn't realized how a part of him missed the proper day and night cycles that most planets in the wider universe had. Where galaxies had suns at their heart, and stars started to appear at about this time, rather than Etheria's moons taking the place of the sun.

It was fully twilight by the time they touched down next to another elevator. This one was different from the others. Instead of standing alone, it was flanked by giant metal constructs similar in height and width to a silo, but the tops were rounded like tanks. Each one had been covered in sky blue colored plastic. There was just enough room between the clear elevator shaft and the rows of towers for a skiff to pass through.

Entrapta climbed down off the skiff, then stared up in awe. "What _are_ these?" she asked.

Hordak dismounted, leaving the key for the skiff in the ignition, knowing that a retrieval drone would come for it at the next check-in. He walked around to Entrapta's side, a slight smile touching his lips. "The blue tanks hold water for the people and animals in this region. If you look farther back, the green ones hold the nutrient solution for the hydroponic crops."

Entrapta tilted her head and leaned to the side, catching sight of the green tanks Hordak mentioned. "I think I see some brown ones, too," she said.

"You are correct," Hordak told her. "The brown tanks hold the 'waste' product remaining after the water and nutrient solution components are extracted. The dregs are sent to join their brethren below to be processed into useful materials. Absolutely nothing truly goes to waste," he said, rather proudly.

"I think I'm starting to see why you want to show me the underground lake," Entrapta said with a smile.

"Then let us continue," Hordak said, gesturing for her to follow him to the elevator. They waited in companionable silence for the platform to arrive after Hordak pressed the now familiar button, and boarded almost as if they were one unit.

Entrapta's hair was curling slightly in anticipation, and Hordak couldn't deny the warmth he felt flooding through him. The vast majority of what he had accomplished beneath the surface was beyond the comprehension of native Etherians. This was the first time he could show someone who was truly interested in all he had to offer, the knowledge he could impart. Someone he could demonstrate his technical prowess to that would understand, and be excited by his creations.

Yes, this had definitely been a day well spent.

The moment the elevator doors opened on the lowest level, Entrapta scurried out, only to stop in her tracks, hair frizzing. "What _is_ all this?" she breathed in wonder.

There was a reason Hordak had taken them to this particular elevator. This was the nexus where all the functions taking place on the lake level met. They were currently on a walkway made of a dark brown composite of wood and plasticized resin, the lengths interweaving in a diamond pattern. A simple railing rose up on both sides, more than high enough to keep Entrapta safe if her feet were in the ground, but a little precarious for Hordak given his much greater height.

To their left as they exited the elevator, where Entrapta was now looking, massive tube-like structures rose up along the wall of the enormous cavern from the water below, set so closely together they looked like panelling at the widest point roughly 100 feet above them. Each section tapered down like an upside-down triangle in three separate gradations. The pattern continued on out of sight in both directions. Straight out from the elevator, the walkway led to an independent, boxy structure made out of the same composite as the walkway, but in white and the pieces were laid horizontally like siding.

More water stretched out to the right of the elevator, but Hordak would start by focusing on the side Entrapta had instinctively gravitated towards.

" _That_ is the desalinization system," Hordak replied. "It allows the natural reserve of fresh groundwater to be supplemented with seawater, of which there is a far more plentiful supply."

"So you're taking water from the sea, removing the salt, and adding the resulting freshwater to the lake?" Entrapta asked to make sure she understood correctly.

Hordak didn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips this time. "That is correct, though it removes far more than just salt. Any impurities are gathered, and like the wastewater from above, are converted into useful materials and chemicals. Most lifeforms can survive for a while without food, but without water, death comes within days."

Entrapta bounced up on her hair, making Hordak a little nervous about her possibly falling over the railing into the water, as she waved her gloved hands from side-to-side. "This is a tremendous breakthrough! No one on Etheria has even come close to creating a method to make sea water drinkable! Well, except you, obviously."

Entrapta's eyes shone with both the joy of discovery, and unhindered admiration. Hordak was not used to anyone looking at him that way with such sincerity. Boot-kissing was a universal truth, but there was no trace of that in Entrapta's gaze. Hordak's hearts beat in a painful rhythm, the tips of his ears burning to such an extent, he had to tear his eyes away, and he found himself at a loss for words.

Hordak heard the sound of Entrapta's boots hitting the walkway as she let herself down, then crossed the few steps between them. He felt both of Entrapta's gloved hands envelop his own right hand. She tugged, just a little, and Hordak's curiosity overcame his discomfort. He turned his head to look at her and met the slight crinkle between her brows a little hesitantly.

"You. Are. Brilliant, Hordak!" Entrapta stated, once she was sure he was paying attention. He opened his mouth to speak, and she rapidly cut him off, "I know, you're just replicating technologies you've already seen, but you've adapted them to what is available here on Etheria. The Rebellion has absolutely no idea what they're up against!"

If it were anyone else, such a proclamation from a former enemy combatant would sow the seeds of distrust. But Hordak knew Entrapta. She didn't take sides, except the one of science. He knew the Rebellion would be horrified hearing her speak in such a way and with such glee. He, personally, found it oddly endearing. She was a being of pure chaos, and he.. admired her for it.

Hordak knew he was far too rigid in his ways, and often did his best work when there was someone who could soften his edges, help _him_ to think outside the box. That was how this entire working civilization had been designed, and now it was his duty to oversee it.

But he didn't have to do so alone anymore.

Hordak's eyes softened and he allowed himself another smile. "No, they do not," he said. "Especially now that you're here with me. How they could have left such a rare treasure behind, I will never understand."

Entrapta blinked, then she felt her face, neck, and chest burst into flame. She almost, _almost_ , let go of Hordak's hand, she was so flustered. "Me? A treasure?" she squeaked.

In Hordak's eyes, she was absolutely adorable like this. Her skin glowed even as her eyes were cast down, and she seemed at a rare loss for words. He had learned long ago he was no good at insincere flattery, and even worse at it when he was sincere. Yet sometimes, around Entrapta, words just flowed out of his mouth without his permission, seeming to bypass his brain because they knew he would bungle it somehow. "Yes, a treasure," he repeated. "To you, the world is filled with limitless potential. New technology excites and motivates you. You are a catalyst for change. Although I may be decent at the execution of new ideas, coming up with them myself is.. not my forte." He winced, hating to admit that.

"While I'm good at ideas, it takes me a while to get them actually working," Entrapta said, mulling over what Hordak had said. "But when we're together, well, look at all the work we've got done on the portal in just a few weeks!"

"Precisely," Hordak replied. "There has been more progress on the portal in this past month than I have achieved in the last couple of decades by myself."

"Which only goes to show what an amazing team we are," Entrapta beamed, looking up at Hordak again in her excitement.

"Indeed," Hordak intoned, turning toward her fully. They stood, smiling at each other, until the moment was rudely interrupted by a wet, almost fart-like sound coming from the opposite side of the walkway.

Startled, Entrapta dropped Hordak's hand, then laughed. "What was that?"

"Air coming back through a siphoning pipe from one of the algae tanks," Hordak replied.

"One of the algae tanks?" Entrapta echoed, then practically hopped away to look over the railing on the opposite side of the walkway. She noticed the water there was divided into several sections, one longer, wider one followed by two or three smaller ones laid out in a pattern. Not only that, the water in each was a different color, various varieties of algae blooming at a rapid pace. The longest tanks, however, held a color she recognized. "Wait, the Horde ration bars are made of algae?" she asked.

Hordak couldn't help the evil grin that crossed his lips. "Indeed. It is one of the primary ingredients. Those algae contain the elements necessary for all known sentient species on Etheria to function. Other types of algae are combined with it to provide the unique vitamins and minerals each species requires."

"So even though the bars look the same, they are tailored to everyone's nutritional needs?" Entrapta asked.

"Precisely," Hordak replied. "Proper nutrition is necessary for peak performance."

"Mmm-hmm," Entrapta hummed, giving him a cheeky look.

Hordak could feel himself blushing slightly. "Point taken," he said. "I believe there is an old saying, 'physician heal thyself'."

Entrapta stood up straight and thrust her chest out before pointing a thumb at herself. "And that is why you need a lab partner to keep tabs on you! Although," she took another look at the tanks," I don't see anything that resembles your nutrient packs. Is that algae in another area?"

"I..." Old habits stilled his tongue. Hordak had never shared such information with someone else. However, the same could be said of his entire underground kingdom when it came to those above. Once again, Entrapta's complete lack of artifice helped convince him to tell her. If Entrapta were going to kill someone, she would likely do it via some gruesome and spectacular means, not poison or starvation. "I have my own algae tank in my quarters to prevent anyone tampering with it," he admitted. "My needs are different from those of Etherians, and even though I have not been able to formulate anything truly complete with what is available on this planet, I have come as close as possible through trial and error."

"What are you missing?" Entrapta asked. "And you can't synthesize it?"

"Not without the base plant," Hordak said. "The deficiency can only be corrected through the oil of a particular tree fruit native to my species' home world called the _persea_. In the wider universe, the Imperial Horde's conquest has spread those trees throughout the galaxies, but since Etheria is separate from them all, I cannot retrieve a sample. My attempts at recreating even a close variation via breeding and splicing Etherian flora have been unsuccessful."

Entrapta's eyes widened. "That's why you're so invested in preserving and growing plants native to certain areas of Etheria!"

Hordak smiled. "Sometimes you are almost too intelligent for my own good," he said, then sobered. "You only saw one particular biome of the hydroponic farms. There are many others, since plants need the conditions of their native lands to grow properly. As stated before, the Fright Zone is now the exclusive grower of many plants that would otherwise have died out when their original kingdoms lost their runestone. Etherians don't usually need them for nutrition, but there is something to be said for nostalgia."

"Which you understand, being so far from home," Entrapta said, sliding a tendril of hair around Hordak's wrist again before turning it into a hand, hair fingers slipping between Hordak's flesh-and-blood ones in an attempt to comfort. One he acknowledged by curling his fingers and squeezing gently.

Hordak found himself disquieted by the emotions that rose up in him at Entrapta calling the wider universe "home". He had never considered anything different, fighting against being trapped on a planet like Etheria, cut off from his brethren and what he had always thought of as civilization. However, for the first time in a long time, he found that connection weakening. His concept of "home" was rapidly changing. Although he wasn't ready to tell Entrapta the full truth about Horde Prime yet, he had been programmed to consider wherever Horde Prime was home. The problem was, a part of his allegiance was shifting. His loyalty, his devotion, should be to Horde Prime alone.

However, he could not dismiss the new feelings cropping up inside him, inspired by the purple-haired Princess currently standing by his side. He'd never had a "home" on Etheria, but that was only because he had not found someone he could trust implicitly. Someone who actually cared not only for him, but about him. Someone who inspired him to greater heights, that he desperately wanted to impress.

Who would acknowledge his feats, and not mock him for his weaknesses.

But it was far too early for him to share any of those observations with the object of his devotion.

So he didn't say anything, just letting Entrapta's statement stand for now.

Entrapta could tell Hordak was thinking of something, but she decided not to pry. The emotions chasing themselves in his eyes were difficult for her to interpret. What did make sense to her, though, was the way he continued to hold her hair-hand, firmly but gently, in his grasp. Her support, her approval, was important to him. Even she could see that. She had discovered Hordak had an almost desperate need to prove himself, but he didn't have to do so with her. It was enough that not only was he her friend, he understood her in ways no one else ever had. He didn't take her to task for her enthusiasm and lack of social graces. He was never embarrassed even when she was squealing and twirling around.

He liked her for who she was, and she definitely liked him, too. She'd never had a lab partner before, but she was aware that he might be gaining another title she had never bestowed on anyone before: best friend.

"I had a lot of fun today," Entrapta said, breaking the silence. "Thanks again for taking me on a tour, and I promise I won't tell anyone about all this. You were right," she paused to give him a sheepish grin, "I can't stand the thought of so much tech being destroyed." Then she sobered. "I'd rather slit my own throat than be the cause of that."

Hordak shook his head. "While I appreciate the sentiment, please don't," he told her. "Tech can be rebuilt. You cannot with what is available here on Etheria." He turned toward her, wishing he could meet her gaze directly without making her uncomfortable, but practically boring a hole between her brows instead. "You are my irreplaceable lab partner. Do not discount your worth."

Entrapta felt as though she were blushing from head to toe. "Okay," was all she could trust herself to say.

A slightly awkward silence fell for a few minutes before Entrapta suddenly brightened.

"Oh, that's right! I had an idea for how to make things run more smoothly and cut down on your paperwork, now that I've seen how massive the scale of the Fright Zone truly is," Entrapta said.

"Oh?" Hordak inquired, raising a brow ridge as he looked at her. "And what would that be?"

Entrapta used the hair not entwined with Hordak's hand to make her habitual chair, raising herself up so she could focus her gaze between his brow ridges. "An inventory system!"

Hordak closed his eyes, feeling very foolish, indeed. "Are you certain you do not wish to take back your assessment of my brilliance?" he asked.

"Of course not," Entrapta briskly replied. "You are used to being a leader of soldiers, not people. Where you come from, supplies were likely provided to you and your troops, so you took that for granted. In fact, I'm the perfect person to help since I built my castle's own inventory system as well as the Council of Dryl's. It will take a while to enter everything into the system given the sheer variety of items, but we can focus on the military side first, since the civilians seem to be doing okay with supplies."

"The civilian population is mostly self-regulating," Hordak said. "I have been very hands-off since I did not want to interfere with anyone's customs, but paperwork is generated when product streams from above and below ground cross, such as in the case of ration bars."

"I think the first priority will be to focus on creating a database and building in some self-maintenance protocols. That way, whenever something is used or taken out of stock, the system can take care of re-ordering to a pre-set level of product," Entrapta continued, her usual enthusiasm kicking in as she clasped her gloved hands together. "That way ordering would be completely automated, and the paperwork would be automatically generated in database form, so you can get rid of all those folders. Of course, I'd write it in Etherian Standard Programming Language unless you really want me to do so in First Ones' code for security reasons. I'd try programming it in your code, but I was only able to hack into the library's surveillance system after a lot of trial and error."

Hordak blinked. "You cracked my code?"

Entrapta blushed. "Only a little."

"Etherian Standard Programming Language is fine for now," Hordak said, shaking his head. "If we ever do have a security breach, we can convert the program into Imperial Standard Code, which I now feel obliged to teach you."

"Well, you don't _have_ to," Entrapta said.

Hordak gave her a smile filled with warmth. "Yes, I do. There may come a day you need to recode or update programs and systems I have created. It is easier to give you the information rather than make you waste time and energy cracking it. Unless you would find it more interesting to learn on your own?"

The blush that had started to fade on Entrapta's cheeks deepened once more. "I'd like you to teach me," she said. "That would be more fun, since I would be with you." She returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. "Speaking of being with you, would it be okay if I joined you in the library cubby tomorrow? You can do the paperwork, and I can work on coding the inventory system. That way I can see how the current system works and use it in my program. Not to mention, you'd be right there to answer any questions I might have."

Hordak found tendrils of heat sneaking into his own cheeks and the tips of his ears at the suggestion. It wasn't just his lab she wanted to spend time in. She wanted, specifically, to spend time with _him_. "Feel free to join me whenever you wish," he said, his voice soft and low. "I find your company quite.. pleasurable."

Entrapta's smile grew, brightening up the entire area. "I like hanging out with you, too," she said before lowering herself to the ground. To Hordak's surprise, Entrapta formed a second hair hand, then slipped it into his own free hand. She swung their joined hands back and forth a little as she stared down at the ground.

"Entrapta?" Hordak prompted, wanting to let her know she had his full attention.

"Thank you, for being my friend," she said, color still blooming in her cheeks.

Hordak slowly and carefully raised his right hand, the one she had been holding the longest. Entrapta's gaze followed, her head lifting as she did so. Giving her plenty of time to escape or withdraw if she wanted, Hordak brought the back of her hair hand to his lips, brushing them over the silky surface in a courtly way that made Entrapta shiver with delight. "Thank _you_ for gracing me with your honesty and friendship," he said.

"Even when I'm badgering you about taking care of yourself?" Entrapta asked.

Hordak smiled. "Especially then, since no one else would dare."

"So does that mean I could maybe stay in the Fright Zone for a while even after we finish the portal machine?" Entrapta inquired, slightly nervous.

"You can stay for as long as you wish, regardless of the portal machine's status," Hordak replied, though in his heart of hearts, he wished that length of time would be forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe there's just an epilogue to go, and this story will be complete. That's not to say a lot more writing in this universe won't come down the pipe; it's just the ending of this particular tale. It has been such a journey, and getting all this ready for public consumption has been quite a project, but I am so happy that I've shared this with you all!
> 
> I wrote up the epilogue this morning, so I should hopefully have it edited and up tomorrow. See you all then!


	12. In Good Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Updated 05/01/20:** I continue to be absolutely chuffed and honored by [cinamoncune](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com) utilizing her talent to draw illustrations for my stories! Adding one of her latest masterpieces to this chapter. Sorry for the delay, and please enjoy!

**Epilogue**

The trip back aboveground had solved yet another mystery Entrapta had noticed, but it hadn't been a big enough deal for her to ask about yet. It also cemented just how massive the underground portion was in her mind.

Entrapta had noted, even on her very first trip to the Fright Zone, that the manhole covers in the ground came in two different sizes. There were the standard ones, then another type that were a lot bigger. Come to find out, the larger ones were _not_ true manholes. They marked where an elevator from below could break through the surface, transporting visitors to locations aboveground that were mostly hidden if you didn't know what to look for. One of the things Entrapta loved about Etherian Horde architecture were all the little nooks and crannies where things could hide, and this was no exception.

She and Hordak had taken the elevator from the underground lake directly up, and it deposited them in a dead end alley mostly concealed by a dilapidated metal construct that had been vaguely shaped to resemble a building.

It had been with reluctance that the two separated, knowing that once they stepped onto the ground above, Hordak had a presence and reputation to maintain. One that would be undermined by seeing him hold hands with Entrapta, or at least, her hair.

Even though she knew it was temporary, there was a part of Entrapta that was sad to see the real Hordak go. He had been so much more at ease underground, overall. Now the weight of his responsibilities came back, resting on his shoulders like his cape. His stance took on a more military bearing once more, and although he hadn't withdrawn from her completely, now knowing there was a more casual side to Hordak made Entrapta wish he didn't have to close himself off so much in his day-to-day life.

So they simply walked back to the barracks side-by-side, Entrapta using her hair to keep up with Hordak's long-legged strides, putting on an air of professionalism. There were a handful of whispers from a distance while they made their way through the common areas of the main Horde complex, but anyone within Hordak's direct line of sight saluted as he passed.

It wasn't until they reached the hallway outside of what was now Entrapta's private quarters that Hordak relaxed a fraction. He walked with her right up to her bedroom door, then paused. The silence turned slightly awkward, as neither one knew exactly what to say. Entrapta left Hordak's side to perch on her hair-chair right in front of him, debating what to do.

Finally, Hordak cleared his throat and, at a loss, he fell back on his training. He bowed, lower than protocol would have demanded. "Thank you for accompanying me today, Entrapta," he said, before straightening. "Have a good night." Then he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Entrapta cried out, his stiff demeanor and fast retreat making something inside of her snap.

Hordak stopped instantly, frozen like a statue as he waited for Entrapta to continue.

Entrapta could feel her cheeks start to warm. "Could you.. come back here a sec? I have an experiment I would like to run, and I can't think of anybody better to help than my lab partner."

The increasingly familiar sensation of blood coloring the tips of his ears filled Hordak's awareness. He slowly turned back around, his steps a little hesitant as he came closer to Entrapta again. "What kind of experiment?" he asked.

"One of social norms and etiquette," Entrapta said briskly. "Though I suppose it could also fall under traditional gestures between partners when a social interaction is complete."

Hordak was thoroughly confused. Entrapta couldn't be referring to what he thought she was.. was she?

"Though it would help if you closed your eyes. I'd feel a little bit weird having you watch me while I figure out certain variables," Entrapta said.

Hordak didn't miss the way the color suffusing Entrapta's cheeks, neck, and lower had grown richer as she spoke. He knew he should refuse, turn away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't _want_ her to run experiments with anybody else. If he walked away now, he was 99% certain she would never ask him to do this sort of thing again.

"All right," Hordak said, and closed his eyes, fighting down the impulse to fidget in the face of this entire situation he had not even dreamed he might actually be a part of in his wildest imaginings.

Entrapta actually felt much better as she watched Hordak shift into a stance she knew was his military "at ease" posture, feet shoulders' width apart and his hands behind his back. It was his default, and he often reverted to that when he was nervous. It meant he might have a inkling as to what she was about to do, though she was certain he would not be expecting her method. At least this way, she wouldn't have to worry about his hands or arms being in the way.

Entrapta tried not to bite her lip as she crossed the slight gap between them on hair-legs before stopping in front of him and shifting, the chair legs becoming extensions of her flesh ones as she stood and lifted herself up until she was just slightly taller than Hordak. She would have to get a little closer than most people given the difference in their anatomies, but after a moment, she was relatively confident she had figured out the correct trajectory.

For his part, Hordak could hear at least some of what was going on. With his sight shut down, his ears twitched, picking up any little sound he could. The silky slide of Entrapta's hair shifting from one position to another whispered promises, and she was close enough, he could feel the heat of her body radiating to warm his own. They currently weren't touching in any way, shape, or form, and yet the moment was startlingly intimate.

Then he felt it, something firm yet yielding rubbing side-to-side against the peaked tip of his nasal bone.

Entrapta withdrew, but only far enough that Hordak could look at her when his vision was restored without going cross-eyed. "Okay, you can open your eyes now," she said.

Hordak did, still slightly confused. "What was that?" he asked, intensely curious.

Entrapta wondered if she blushed hard enough, would she somehow suffer some kind of blood loss? If so, she was dangerously close to that point. "It's called a 'snow kiss', common in the Kingdom of Snows. Two people rub the tips of their noses against each other to say 'hello' or 'goodbye' or well, any other reason to share a kiss." Entrapta paused, hoping she hadn't gone too far. The sensation had been very pleasant indeed, the actual skin-to-skin contact at a minimum, but her emotions more than making up for the relative lack of physical stimulation. "I didn't know if it would work or not, given that your nose doesn't have any cartilage, but I think it's plausible?" Her voice rose slightly, turning the last phrase into a question.

Hordak heard and truly did take in everything Entrapta said, but his current comprehension had stopped at the phrase "to share a kiss". Entrapta had kissed him. Not in any way he had heard of before, but she had. He could feel his hands trembling. He knew he should put a stop to this.

But he didn't want to. In fact...

"Then it seems I did not perform my part in the experiment correctly, due to a lack of information," Hordak said, his voice going into a lower register and caressing each word as it passed his lips.

"What?" Entrapta asked, her mind scrambling to wrap itself around what Hordak was actually proposing and nearly sobbing in relief that she had not crossed a line with him. That he was apparently willing to accept her gesture, and maybe even ask for a repeat?

"You said the participants have to rub their noses together. I was not aware of the gesture I needed to perform. I will close my eyes to minimize awkwardness, but if you care to repeat the experiment, I can respond correctly to ensure more accurate results," Hordak said.

"Oh," Entrapta breathed, the full implication of Hordak's words seeping into her awareness and making her giddy. "Yes. Yes, I would like to repeat the experiment."

Hordak closed his eyes, and Entrapta leaned in again. This time when she passed the tip of her nose over Hordak's, he responded in kind, both of them only moving enough for their noses to barely clear before going back the other way. They did not stop at a single pass, either. Repetition was required to get a decent sample size, after all. If there had been any witnesses, they would have seen the way both participants' smiles grew until they were forced to withdraw due to Entrapta's giggles, and Hordak's involuntary chuckling.

Hordak opened his eyes to see Entrapta flushed and smiling, nothing less than complete joy in her eyes.

Entrapta, for her part, basked in the warmth radiated by Hordak's crimson gaze, its coloration seeming even brighter than usual. "I think I would like to declare this particular experiment a success," she said.

"As would I," was Hordak reply. "Then I assume today's activities were satisfactory?"

"Of course! As if there were any doubt," Entrapta said, lowering herself to the floor before giving him a playful glare. "You should really stop being so hard on yourself. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: I _really_ like you, Hordak."

Hordak snorted. "Although those aboveground might doubt I am capable of it, I genuinely like you, too, Entrapta," he said.

"Good, then we're even," Entrapta replied, smiling up at him for a moment before putting on her own "stern" face. "Now, I'm going to curl up in bed with one of my new books. You, don't forget you haven't had dinner yet, and go to sleep early. I want your nutrition and rest levels to be at _adequate_ levels tomorrow, not minimum. Okay?"

Hordak initially started to fight the half-playful, half-serious impulse that rose up in him, but since it was only the two of them in the corridor, he decided to give in, wondering what Entrapta's reaction would be. He swiftly but carefully went down on one knee and bent his head. "Yes, Your Highness," he said, letting a few moments pass before peeking upward.

[Yes, Your Highness](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com/post/615315345438359552/he-swiftly-but-carefully-went-down-on-one-knee-and) by [cinamoncune](https://cinamoncune.tumblr.com/)

Entrapta blushed profusely. Normally she hated anyone calling her by her title, but the way Hordak said it, so reverent and _sensual_ , made her heart pound and her nerves turn into mini lightning conductors. "Oh stop it," she said, laying a tendril of hair on his shoulder without even thinking about it, almost as if it were instinct. "You're my lab partner, my equal. Stand up!"

"As Her Highness commands," Hordak said, rising to his feet again.

Entrapta huffed, then fisted her gloved hands and put them on her hips, letting the tendril of hair on his shoulder slip away as he rose. "Fine, if that's what you need to make you take care of yourself, so be it." Her right hand left her hip so she could shake her pointer finger at her much taller lab partner. "I'll know the moment I see you tomorrow if you haven't."

"I am well aware of that now," Hordak said, his tone still light. "I give you my word I will get _adequate_ nutrition and rest tonight." He allowed himself a soft, warm smile. "Enjoy your book, and sweet dreams, Entrapta."

Entrapta's smile in return was genuine, filled with radiant warmth, her cheeks still a little ruddy. "Sweet dreams, Hordak. See you in the morning."

"'Til then," Hordak replied, then turned to leave again. A part of him wished he could traverse through the ventilation system like Entrapta did so he didn't have to school his features again, but he locked the tender feelings that were blossoming in his chest away until he was safely ensconced in his private quarters. Then he could revel in how well his entire day had gone, and the lingering exhilaration of knowing that both he and his kingdom were safe in Entrapta's small yet eminently capable hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a part of me that can't believe I've not only written all this, but got it safely posted. It's been such an incredible ride, and I really hope you all enjoyed it!
> 
> There will be a little break between now and when I start posting the next part in this series, mostly because I wrote the rough draft for Part 3 back when I had only written the first two chapters of this fic, so it needs a LOT of revising and some complete reworking. But that's absolutely all right. I love how everything turned out!
> 
> Thank you so very much again to everyone who has been reading, and especially those who left kudos and comments. I've had some really fun discussions in the comment section (which is why the count is so high, mea culpa!), and the incredible feedback has only given me more courage and made me feel right at home in the Entrapdak corner of the Internet. Until next time!


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